Life is a Witch, Death is Her Sister
by Iluvem'moody
Summary: A new school nurse comes to Forks High. Alice is drawn to her, a feeling of home always present. Bella Swan, new student, finds an unlikely friend and confidante. The nurse is protective of both women, aware of something they are not. But what? Will be a bit of BxAxOC but mainly BxA and CxOC
1. Chapter 1

_(A/n) Ok, here is my first Twilight fic. I have no idea what inspired this. I've been reading way too many fanfictions of Twilight lately and read the books again. I adore some of the characters but Alice and Carlisle remain dearest in my heart. I do love adding OC's to my stories so if you do not like please move on. If you are curious and like what I have started with, please share your thoughts. This will be a romance of course. I love romances and Carlisle had taken the spot of my radar so... yeah... _

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_October, sometime in the early 1920's..._

The sound of screaming echoed through the thin walls and penetrated the small hands that tried in earnest to block the sound. The room was small and cramped, a single cot rested in the corner upon which a tiny figure was trembling. Her black hair fell in a tangled mess about her tiny shoulders. Her eyes were large as they darted from one corner to the other. Every so often, her gaze would go out of focus, a sure sign that she was seeing things that no other could see.

It would last for a few short moments before she would gasp, her eyes glancing around the small room in surprise. A small sob escaped her throat and she shrunk within herself even more, trying to disappear within the cot, the wall, anywhere in which to get away. She wore nothing but a hospital gown that was covered with sweat stains and spots of blood. Her pale limbs were exposed to the darkness that constantly surrounded her.

It was some time before the screaming finally stopped and the door to her room opened. She didn't look up, she didn't dare to look at the fear of the visions that constantly plagued her. It wasn't until a familiar warm hand reached out to brush her bare arm that she looked up. Her eyes locked with a pair of deep brown orbs, a tangled mess of black curls falling about a round face. The eyes stared with intense emotion before a timid smile appeared. "Alice..."

The terrified young woman stared into those earthy orbs before recognition flickered across her pale face. "Lil..." Her tiny voice croaked before her pale arms shot out and wrapped around the other woman. The clash of ivory and caramel flesh lasted for a few heartbreaking moments before the woman named Lil looked up. Her earthy eyes glanced toward the doorway where a pale man stood, watching them with a sadness that made the tears erupt.

He was devastatingly handsome with thick brown hair fell about a pair of butterscotch eyes. He was dressed in a white coat and his pale hands were clenching and unclenching as he stared with longing at the woman that held the tiny pixie within her arms. The frown that twitched on the caramel face was troubled, the earthy eyes glancing from the doctor to the door. "Save her... Please..." Lil knew that this doctor was different from the rest, knew that she could trust this man to save her friend from the terrible nightmare that had been hunting Alice. Her best friend needed to be saved, she could feel it in her bones.

Lil had been alone with her own shadows before she had met Mary Alice Brandon a year before. Actually, it was the doctor who had introduced the two patients to one another for some reason. The moment they had met, the recognition had been instant and the calm that both women needed from their visions and nightmares could only be achieved within one another. They were friends, sisters... It was a recognition of two souls that understood something that others could not.

The throat of the doctor convulsed as he swallowed, a look of slight panic appearing on his pale face. "She will be in pain but... He will not touch her once it's done." His butterscotch eyes flicked toward the face of Lil, her caramel skin looked golden even within the darkness of this cell. "I can save you both... She won't survive if you're not there to calm her."

Lil's eyes glanced toward the corner of the dark room, those earthy orbs catching sight of the shadows that squirmed, shadows that were darker than the blackest nightmare. She swallowed and closed her eyes against the sight. "No time... I'll distract him... You must take her away from here."

Without a word, she gently pulled herself from Alice's embrace and whispered soothing words as she pulled the dirtied nightgown from her dearest friend. She pulled off her own gown, not caring of her own nakedness as she buried every inch of herself into the aged fabric. She continued to whisper soothing words as she put her gown over Alice. The pixie said nothing in response as her large eyes remained glued on the face of her friend. There was nothing but complete trust in her eyes. When Lil had taken Alice's gown and put it on, the doctor took in a deep breath and closed his eyes. He opened them and gave a quick nod. "I can barely smell her scent but it'll only buy us time."

Lil nodded and leaned into whisper a few more soothing words to her dearest friend before she reached out to help the pixie to her feet. One step and then two, Alice followed her friend willingly though her eyes glanced at the doctor with slight apprehension.

"Trust him..." Lil whispered as she pushed Alice toward the doctor. "I love you Allie... Please live..."

The doctor took the pixie like woman by the arm, his butterscotch eyes studying the other woman with deeper longing. "I never understood why you were here... You're not... You never were..." He trailed off, trying to find the words but all that came out was a slight sob, though there were no tears to be shed. "I need you..."

A slight smile touched her lips as she studied the doctor and she moved close to him to press her warm lips against his cold flesh. A deep growl rumbled in his chest as his tongue tasted her warm flesh, the longing and sadness in his eyes hurting her to the core. She turned her attention to Alice and buried her face within the warmth of her tangled black hair.

"Lil..." Alice's voice was pleading. She knew that something was wrong, she was never going to see her friend again. She had seen it... That nightmare that had been hunting her was going to kill her dearest friend. "Lil, please..."

Lil shook her head and moved quickly away, as quick as her simple human feet would allow. "Go! Just go... This is the only way." It was the only way... Alice would live on and the shadows would finally claim her since she would be the only choice left. "I love you both."

The doctor glanced back at the door, the sound of the screaming was drawing closer. The occupants of this asylum would not live to see the light of the coming morning. He just wished his beloved was not among them. He looked at her and she shook her head, taking another step away. He growled in reply, inhaling her scent deeply to commit it to his memory. He would save Alice, he had given his word but to survive without his love... He had promised that he would live for her but his dead heart ached at the thought...

Lil's earthy eyes flicked to the door and to the corners of the room, her caramel skin taking in a sickly hue as she moved to the cot. "He is nearing... the shadows crave... Leave this place."

The doctor's jaw clenched tightly as he took one last look at the woman before he gave a nod and took Alice in his arms. Alice's large eyes took in the sight of her friend one last time before they were gone in a flash, the doctor's sudden disappearance speaking of the true nature that he held.

Lil wrapped herself within Alice's gown as her eyes darted from one dark shadow to another. They were bubbling, showing their anger at being denied their marked target. _She will never be yours..._ Lil thought fiercely as the door to the room was kicked open.

A man stood within the doorway, inhaling deeply before he moved with inhuman speed. He was pinning her against the cot, his blood red eyes not focusing on the face of his intended target. "He thought he could keep you from me but I always get what I want."

Lil said nothing in reply, she didn't even breathe as the man leaned in close to her neck. It took but a moment but he caught the scent of her flesh, it was different from the one he had been tracking. With a deep growl, he raked his teeth across her neck and right collar bone and her cry filled the room. The shadows danced with delight.

"Where is she?" He growled, his icy fingers gripping her throat tightly as he stared into her earthy brown eyes. She gasped for air but a look of triumph appeared, a gasping laugh escaping her parched lips. It was all the answer he needed and he punched her face, his pale knuckles leaving a deep gash across her left eye. Blood seeped from the deep wound and a gurgled scream erupted from her throat as her left eye was nothing more than bloody mush. The man didn't linger to finish her off, he was so intent on obtaining his target that he fled the room in pursuit of the doctor that had taken Alice.

Lil continued to gasp as the venom burned its way through her body, her eyes watching as the shadows churned and drew closer to her. She may not have been their intended but she was better than nothing... She closed her eyes, waiting for the feel of her very life force being dragged from her flesh and bones. She waited and waited, trying to ignore the feel of the burning fire that was working its way through her veins. Nothing came. Instead, she felt a cold mouth clasp upon the flesh of her collar bone and neck, a deep pulling sensation occurred and the burning began to subside...

She opened her eyes, her gasping breaths easing slightly as she caught sight of pale flesh. It was not her love, it was not the nightmare that hunted her dearest friend... this was a completely different soul. The sucking lasted for a brief moment and the man pulled away. He licked the blood from his pale lips as he studied the woman with keen interest. He was tall, taller than any man she had ever seen. He was pale with a shock of midnight hair that was swept back from his face. He was neither handsome nor ugly, he just was. He was dressed in clothes that were deeper than the shadows themselves. His dark eyes took in the sight of her before he reached into his winding black cloak and pulled out a flask. "This will burn but not as badly as the venom."

The woman said nothing and the pale man with the midnight hair opened the flask and poured a dark liquid over her wounds. She hissed and writhed, the burning was extreme but the man was right, it did not burn as badly as the bite of Alice's nightmare. She tried to look up at the pale man but she only had one good eye, the other was beyond recognition.

The pale man replaced the top to the flask and slipped it back within his cloak before reaching out large, pale fingers to bind the wounds closed. The shadows that had crept along the walls had earnestly moved toward the pale man's fingers, following some unspoken command as they bound the flesh as one. Her caramel skin bound together leaving nothing save for a wicked dark scar that remained from where the nightmare had raked his teeth.

Lil could feel the coldness settle into her very bones though her heart continued to beat. It beat slowly, very slowly, until all that was left was a single thump. A moment passed and then another, time moved on before her heart gave another single thump. She looked up at the tall, pale man as her breath came and went in a slow rhythm, as if she were just realizing that she was capable of breathing. "Why... now..." Her breath continued in this slow way, her remaining earthy eye filled with even more questions she did not have the breath to ask.

The pale man only stared at her as the shadows that had been haunting the darkest corners of this asylum shivered and disappeared. "You are worth far more than you believe. You saved her life but the life of your beloved is no more..."

Her eyes grew wide at these words and a sob caught in her throat. "He... no, he was... he promised... She can't be alone..."

"He did not believe anything was worth living for if you were gone."

"She can't be alone!" She gasped, her voice screeching as she felt the scar on her collar bone twinge with dark intent. "He promised!"

"He believed you dead so you cannot fault him. You were his singer..." The pale man's large hand reached out gently rest against her breast, soothing the aching of her slow beating heart. It was trying to beat faster, the love that had filled it for the doctor remaining ever strong. "You must remain as you are. Your choices from the moment you had met them has led up to this. You knew what this life would have brought her so you chose it for yourself."

"The shadows..." She whimpered, warm tears spilled from her eye and the sadness that now filled her slow beating heart was stronger than any fear she had ever known.

The pale man simply gazed at her and gave a nod. "They will no longer lay claim to her now that she is. The tracker that had craved her cannot harm her since she is now like him." He moved closer to her and gathered her within his dark embrace.

She opened her mouth but all that emerged was a sob. The pale man understood that sob well enough as he wrapped his dark cloak around her trembling form. "She will not remember any of this but she will find happiness. We must leave now..."

"You...?" She stared up at him, her question easily read within her earthy orbs. He caught the question and a hint of a smile appeared, though she could not be certain.

"I used to be... I'm nothing now. I just am."

"I am...?"

The hint of the smile disappeared and he shook his head slightly. "No, not hardly." He moved his grip of her and lightly touched the her neck. Her pulse thumped only once and then nothing. It felt like hours had passed before her pulse thumped again. "You are barely... but it is enough. You will live in a sense. You must if you wish to see her again." He held her closer as the shadows surrounded them and a small room in the asylum disappeared from sight.

"The nightmare..." Her voice was soft now, the shadows that she had feared for much of her life now seemed comforting, even welcoming.

"He lives if that is the best term to use. He will continue on as he has but you must be aware that later... much later... You will need to be prepared to protect such a one as your Alice. She will be marked and your Alice will do all she can to protect her."

Lil closed her good eye and buried her face within the cold neck of her rescuer. Even his cold neck was beginning to feel warm to her now. "My Alice... I'll protect who my Alice loves... and you?"

He caught her true meaning and a ghost of a smile touched his lips. "I am known as Silvan. I will oversee your proper growth and training. Be prepared, it will be many years before you see your dearest friend again..."

Lil sighed and muttered something in reply, her heartbeat never picking up in speed and never stopping. It just was. Silvan smiled, catching the gentle mutter as he appeared on the grounds of a large estate. It was here that the shadows danced with delight, the sight of the near full moon greeting them as he walked toward the large front doors of the mansion. The doors swung open and torchlight spilled onto the gravel driveway.

"There you are Silvan!" A woman stood at the doorway, a tall woman with long golden hair, her body was lithe with pure muscle. She was naked for all the world to see but didn't seem at all ashamed. There was something feral of her and at the sight of the near full moon, her eyes flashed with pure delight. "Another night and we would have started without you!"

Silvan simply removed the vestiges of his dark cloak, revealing the round face of their newest charge. "There has been a change in plans Rieka..."

The woman's yellow eyes focused on the caramel tone of the sleeping woman and her nose flared, taking in the scent of her. "A human?"

This time a smile did touch the pale man's lips as he swept passed the naked woman and into the mansion. "Just barely... She had taken the spot of an Intended. She had seen the shadows for sometime now and decided to act to save her friend."

The woman named Rieka closed the doors and turned to follow the tall man into the entrance hall of their hidden home. She stared at the human, the barely human, and her eyes grew wide with surprise. "She had been Marked?"

"I had no choice." He glanced back at the naked woman, his pale face twitching slightly with a frown. "There had to be a replacement and she was all there was."

Rieka frowned in response as she folded her arms beneath her well shaped breasts. "This will not bode well. We needed the Oracle, not a Medium."

Silvan simply shrugged in reply and continued on toward the large flight of stairs that led to the bedrooms. "Fate has something different planned and I am not one to argue with fate."

"So what are we supposed to do with her? She has no special abilities that will be of use to us now!"

The tall, pale man paused on the landing of the flight of stairs and glanced down at the naked woman who was nearly growling with suppressed rage. Silvan shook his head once. "There will be others Rieka, I assure you. The human world is changing and the vampires are becoming more dominant with each passing decade."

"That is why we needed the other girl, the one who had visions! She would be able to help us restore the balance! I am telling you Sylvan, taking in this human as is will be the end of our world."

Silvan frowned and glanced down at his newest charge. He could sense her heartbeat, thumping ever so slowly. "That may be so..." He closed his eyes and took in her scent, the old traits of his vampire self still remained even after all of these years. Her scent of human would remain but it would be touched with the scent of earth, of time. She might be bring the end of their world but she would also continue it. Their time was ending, the humans did not fear as they used to, the Children of the Moon were becoming fewer in number thanks to the war. Even the Children of Hecate had gone into hiding. Silvan was very aware of that their world was fast becoming nothing more than a simple dream. However, they would need someone to remember them, to remain where they could not. "She will stay and she will learn the ways of the shadows."

"She will bring nothing but-"

"Death," he said and simply smiled at the feral woman at the foot of the stairs. "Rieka, you and I both know that there are far worse things than death." He turned then in a flurry of dark fabric, listening keenly to the slow thump of the woman's heartbeat. "Lilith, you need not worry of the whispers you will hear or of the shadows you will see. What you had once feared will become your greatest ally."

The woman said nothing in reply, she simply dreamed...


	2. Chapter 2

_(A/n) Thanks to my only reviewer! You are awesome! -=hugs tight=- I know it's confusing and complicated... My imagination likes to run away with me. I just wanted a good background story for my ocs, something supernatural. lol, anyway thanks again!_

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_Several days later..._

She awoke in darkness.

She blinked once before her eyes focused on a wavering, stone ceiling. She could see a few moths flitting from one place to another. She could see the particles of dust that erupted as their wings fluttered. She could hear the sound of their tiny wings and the frantic beating of their tiny, tiny hearts. Beyond that, she could hear the wind as if were howling within her ears. She swallowed, feeling a burning thirst like nothing she had ever known.

With slightly trembling limbs, she sat up and got to her feet. There was strength within her, a strength that she knew was not normal. She stared at her white hands, the skin smooth and free of any blemish or scar. She couldn't recall what had happened before waking up... Where was she? _Who _was she?

She glanced up, her perfect eyesight catching the entrance to the cave in which she had awoken. She took a small step and then another, her eyes never leaving the sight of the cave entrance. Once outside, the darkness that had surrounded her gave way to a forest bathed in moonlight. Everything was so crisp and clear. She took in an unneeded breath, tasting the scents that flowed on the night breeze. She was thirsty, so thirsty...

A familiar scent caught her nostrils, a very strong scent that reached down to the recesses of her mind. She glanced down at the nearly clean nightgown that she wore and reached a few dainty fingers to grab the fabric. She pulled at the gown and brought it to her nose, inhaling deeply. She closed her eyes as the scent filled her, a scent that was similar to freshly dug earth and pine trees. She knew this scent, she _knew... _No name came to mind but she could recall earthy brown eyes studying her with love and worry.

She took in a deeper breath, knowing this scent was from someone who had meant a great deal to her, knowing that this scent belonged to someone who had loved her. This nightgown was much too big on her pixie like body, it had belonged to them. She did not know how long she stood there for, if someone were to see her they would have thought she were nothing more than a statue.

Off in the distance, a heartbeat caught her ear and the sound of blood rushing through warm veins snapped her from her trance. Her throat burned and her mouth watered, she was so thirsty. Without thinking, she moved toward the sound, her tiny bare feet carrying her with inhuman speed. Her black hair had been cut by someone at some point, it bounced in layered flips in curls about her ears. She was a beautiful creature.

The deer, whose heartbeat she had heard, did not think she was a beautiful creature. It barely saw her before she had pounced, her glinting teeth biting into the fur and flesh of its neck. Its eyes rolled back as it tried frantically to free itself from her vice like grip. She drank and drank, not noticing when the deer finally stilled. When the last of its blood was drained, she dropped the carcass and gently wiped the blood from her lips. Panic welled in her, confusion. What was happening to her?

She fell to her knees, noticing that she had gotten flecks of blood on her nightgown. She took the fabric and inhaled deeply, committing the pine and earth scent to her memory. She inhaled and inhaled, focusing on the image of those earth brown eyes. Finally, a shadow of a memory welled up within her, a gentle voice calming her and warm arms holding her close. _Alice..._

Her eyes snapped open and she stared at her nightgown. Her name was Alice... Yes, that felt right... However, she couldn't recall who the person was who had calmed her. A woman? It seemed it had been a woman. She got to her feet and wrapped her arms around herself, looking every which way before she turned and disappeared into the trees. She couldn't remember who she was but she knew, she knew this scent of the woman who had cared for her. She would find this woman and she would find her home...

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_Nearly 90 years later... In a graveyard long forgotten by the locals..._

The moon was nearly full.

The tall, pale man with the shock of midnight hair stood patiently beside a grave that was older than all the rest. It was covered in moss, the carvings on the stone worn away by time and the elements. The darkness of his clothes seemed to absorb the surrounding light and yet his pale face reflected the light, basked in it. He was neither handsome nor ugly, he just was...

From the darkest corner of the graveyard, a shadow stirred and began to take shape. It took a step and then another, a pair of glowing yellow eyes flashing against its blackness. It had a slightly limping gait, the shadows around it taking on a firmer form. It was a wolf, a black wolf whose fur rivaled that of the pale man's clothes. Its large paws seemed to glide over the grass, its right paw a bit shorter with its movements, as if it pained it. It moved toward the oldest grave and plopped down on a patch of weeds across from where the pale man stood. It opened its maw and yawned, flecks of ember dripping from its sharp fangs.

"How long before the boss shows?" Its voice was gravely and deep, a male's voice. The embers continued to fall from its sharp teeth and it passed a black tongue across its chops.

The pale man didn't look at the wolf, instead he focused his gaze on the moon, his dark eyes counting the rings of the rainbow that encircled it. It was a cold night, winter was just finally releasing its grip on the northern hemisphere...

"Not long," he said, after a meaningful silence and focused his gaze back to the grave.

The wolf merely grunted in reply and rested his head upon his paws. He took in a breath and sighed heavily, a flurry of sparks escaping his nose. Silence passed and then the wolf closed his eyes. "It feels good to relax for once... I hope that she passes the test this time Silvan. She is becoming quite skilled in the ways of the shadows and even the lesser demons are beginning to fear her."

At this the pale man allowed a hint of a smile, a ghost of what could be called pride flickering across his pale features. "After nearly a century, I would hope she would be adapt at walking between the borders of life and death."

"She simply isn't adapt Silvan." The wolf glanced up at the man named Silvan and his dark features contorted into what could be a frown. "She is skilled and has been for some time. She was a medium in her human days so it should not be surprising that she would take well to this." He sighed and rested his head back upon his paws, his glowing yellow eyes dimming slightly.

Silvan glanced down at the wolf and a look of interest appeared in his dark eyes. "My, my Dip... I do believe you've developed a soft spot for the human. Coming to her defense so easily? I had no idea that a hell hound was capable of such sentiment."

At this the wolf growled and lifted his head, his yellow eyes now brimming with flames. "Do not take the truth I state as anything more than what it is. I could care less about that insignificant speck! You can take that remark and shove it up your sparkling ass Silvan."

Silvan smirked at this and returned his gaze to the grave. "I do believe my form has not sparkled within the light of the sun for nearly three millennium now."

"And I am glad I had never seen such a sight." A new voice joined the two, the silvery form of a woman appearing from the light of a moonbeam that was cast just beyond the grave. She was nearly as tall as Silvan and bore waist length gray hair that flowed freely. She wore a winding dress of gray fabric that looked to be made from mists and fogs that lingered over some graves. She was beautiful but her voice bore such deep longing, it pulled at the heartstrings of all who heard her.

"My Lady," said Silvan as he cast his dark eyes to the Lady in Grey and bowed his head in deep respect. "You honor us with your presence."

The Lady smiled and bowed her head in return to the pale man. "Likewise dear Silvan. I hope my husband has not kept you waiting for too long?"

"Ankou arrives when he sees fit. It has not changed and never will it change." The wolf named Dip yawned again and settled himself back down upon his bed. There was no malice in his voice, he simply stated a fact.

The Lady in Grey laughed softly at this and gave a nod. "Yes, that is his way but you do such a fine job as a member of the Guard my husband sees no reason to rush to the mortal realm."

At this the wolf glanced up at the Lady and the fire that brimmed in his yellow eyes completely disappeared. He bowed his head in respect, knowing that the kindness of the Lady spoke beyond words. Where her husband was the ruthless caretaker of the Realm, his Lady was the wonderful balance that brought a much needed peace to the souls that departed there. They were a contradictary pair but it had worked for countless mortal years and there was no mistaking that the two guardians of Death bore a deep and understanding love for one another.

"Where is Lilith? I would have thought she would be here by now." The Lady glanced about the old graveyard, catching sight of the old souls that called this place their permanent home. They were the ones who guarded this land, who did not feel the pull to move on to the afterlife. They were not forced to leave this place, it was their choice. Even in death, the humans who lived their life as honestly and as goodly as possible were allowed a choice.

"Lilith should be completing her final assignment now. She will be here soon." Silvan glanced behind him, catching sight of the telltale shadows that liked to gather where Lilith would appear. Even in her days as a full human, the shadowy forms of the Allu had been drawn to her, the souls of recently departed had been drawn to her. She was a link to the mortal realm that they craved. Now, she was simply a link that they were drawn to but dared not to channel. Now she was a simply a member of the Guard, her role being more intricate than most seeing as she still bore a beating, albeit slow, heart.

Silence passed, the breeze blew and the Lady closed her eyes with a gentle sigh. "The Dance of Death will be exquisite this year..."

Silvan looked at the Lady and a gentle smile appeared on his pale lips. "It will not be for another nine months on the current mortal calender."

The Lady opened her eyes and she gave a nod, her smile was bittersweet. "And it will go quickly as it has before. I do enjoy dancing with the living, the clasping of flesh with mist, the one time in which the boundaries are dropped and all can enjoy just the simple music of existence..."

The shadows that had been gathering at a particular spot a few graves down from where the wolf, the tall, pale man and the Lady in Grey erupted with fervor. They gathered and took form, trembled and shook before parting completely. A woman appeared from the trembling mass of Allu shadows, the simple spirits that were drawn to the life that the woman still bore within her. She was dressed in clothes that were similar and nearly as dark as Silvan's but not quite. A head of short, black curls framed her round face, the caramel tone still bore the flush of blood.

She stood there for a moment before gathering her wits and walked toward the group, gaze falling upon Silvan's inhumanely tall form. "I'm not late, am I?"

Silvan glanced down at his charge and a hint of a smile appeared. She had changed much from the desperate soul he had first met nine decades before. Her face was striking, a beauty that was exotic and troubled. It was marred by a single scar across her left eye, which was milky white from blindness. Her right eye retained the vitality of life, an dark brown shade that reminded Silvan of the deep earth of ancient forests. Beneath her dark clothing, across her right collar bone, Silvan knew of the dark and shimmering scar that had been left behind by the vampire who had nearly killed her. It had been healed by the shadows, a mark of death that contrasted the life that still beat within her. She was human but barely...

She turned her gaze to the Lady and gave a deep bow in respect. "Good eve to you my Lady, it is a pleasure to see you."

The Lady in Grey simply smiled in return, her fondness for the human was deep. It was often believed that it was because of this fondness that Lilith had never tasted the fear of death. She was of the Guard, a trusted keeper of the shadows who walked the border of life and death. She was a favorite of the Lady and her husband would know better than to take the life of one so precious to his lady love.

"Lilith, I am glad to see you in such good health."

Lilith raised her head and smiled at the Lady, catching the humor in which her comment had given. Sickness was not something that affected her, her close ties with death assured that aspect. So, she allowed a gentle laugh to escape and bowed her head to the Lady once more.

"Lil, it seems you managed to gather that once tricky soul." The wolf focused his yellow gaze on the curvy form of the human, his amusement could be seen within those glowing orbs. Lilith was known as the Red Mother within the Realm. It was her job to visit the souls of those who had committed the most horrific of bloody crimes and had gone unpunished. When she would find those souls, they knew they that would not escape the pull of final death. Lilith was quite adapt at announcing her arrival by filling her targets with an overwhelming sense of guilt that burned at the very center of their being. If they were still alive, that guilt would become an enraging fever that lasted for days, causing hallucinations before the guilty souls finally succumbed to their fate. Since those live victims would always burn from their fevers, she was given the nickname of the Red Mother by the other members as a way to tease her. She simply took the name in stride and continued to fulfill her debt.

Lilith turned her attention to the hell hound and smiled. "Why Dip, you sound concerned. I had no idea you cared."

The growl that erupted from the wolf was deep but he said nothing in reply. He glared at the human before a clutching cold gripped his very form. He ceased in his growling, the others sensing the cold and standing as still as the wolf.

The old grave began to bubble with a dark mass, the moss grew and covered the old tombstone completely before a shape emerged. It wavered for a moment before focusing and growing firm. It held a scythe in one hand and an old, wide brimmed hat covered its head. It was taller than Silvan and its broad shoulders were hunched as it focused its gaze on the ground. It took in a shaking breath and straightened, it's face was blurred, as if their vision were trying to focus on the man. All averted their gaze save for the Lady, who simply smiled up at the shadow man.

"My dear husband Ankou, how I've missed you..." The Lady took a step forward and bathed her husband with adoration that was older than anything. The shadow glanced down at the Lady and his features softened. He reached out a hand and gently brushed against the silvery flesh of his wife's cheek.

"My Lady, you remain always by my side..."

The members of the Guard did not look at the husband and wife, knowing that it was a moment that was private. Ankou pressed a gentle kiss upon his wife's silver lips before turning his attention to the only human who stood among them. Lilith felt his gaze but kept her gaze remained on the ground. Despite her status as a member of the Guard, despite how slow her heart beat, she was still human and looking death in the face might be her last action...

"Lilith," said Ankou, his voice was deeper than the earth and filled with wisdom that went beyond any mortal man. "You have done well as a member of the Guard. You have learned all you can within the borders of life and death. Silvan had brought you when you had chosen death in the place of one dear to your heart..." He reached out a shadowy hand and gripped her chin, his hand was colder than anything she had ever felt, the touch of death. He lifted her gaze and she had no choice but to stare up at the face of the ruler of the Realm. His face, once blurred, now focused and what she saw was beyond words. The face of death could be given no description and she would not remember even if she tried. In that moment in time, staring at the face of Ankou, she had been given a blessing.

"You must fulfill the choice the fates have allowed you. You will be free of your duties, free to follow the path your heart had been set on from the beginning." He released her chin and passed his gaze to the tall pale man. "She will be a member of the Guard ever more. Though she lives, she will retain the skills that have been taught to her. If the time shall come to pass that she will lose that beating heart and crosses the borders, she will be welcomed as if she had never left."

Silvan's broad shoulders straightened and he bowed his head further, taking the words of Ankou as a direct order. Lilith had passed the final test, she was and would always remain a part of the Guard. The secrets of the mortal world and of the Realm would remain open to her. It was what Silvan had hoped for her. Her link with the realm of death as a medium had proved its usefulness. She would remember all that had been taught to her and where the rest of the world had forgotten the mystical creatures of old, she would remember. That was her true calling, what the fates had truly needed to restore the balance. An Oracle could see the visions of the future but they could not capture the past. There was no saving the Children of the Moon, there was no restoring the Children of Hecate to their rightful place. Even the vampires remained hidden though they had thrived better since they could pass within the human world. The balance had been lost years and years before Lilith had ever been found. She was the key though, the key to continuing... She only had one duty left.

"You will find her in a small town where she lives her frozen life filled with love." The Lady spoke this time, catching the gaze of her favorite human. "The life that you had wished for her had been granted and she is happy but she does not remember. She craves for you and she tries so hard to find her memories of you."

"There is one who will be marked, one who will matter to your dearest heart as much as you had." Ankou had spoken this time and Lilith could feel the pull of the mortal realm. "You will go to her, that has been your deepest wish and it will be granted." He thumped the pole of his scythe against the grass and the pull became even stronger. "Silvan and Dip will be close should you need guidance. You will be given all that you need once you arrive." He thumped the pole again and Lilith fell to her knees. She gasped as her slow heart gave a particularly strong beat. She looked up at her guardian and caught his dark gaze.

Silvan simply smiled and gave a nod, the look in his eyes clearly stating that he would be right there for her. She felt hot flesh touch her right cheek and she glanced to see that the hell hound had moved next to her and licked her. The look in his yellow eyes was confused and distant, as if he wasn't sure what he was feeling.

"Be strong my Lilith, you will need to be on the path you will be walking." The Lady smiled at her favorite human before her husband gave one final thump against the grass. That third strike firmed the bond of life to the Red Mother and she winced, feeling her heart give one final thump before her vision blurred and all faded away...

…

When she came to, she found herself standing beside a broken down Nissan truck. She groaned as she leaned against the rusted white vehicle, her hand reaching up to place over her heart. It thumped once and remained still. Moments passed before it thumped it again. It didn't stop and it didn't race, it simply beat in that painfully slow rythym she had grown so used to. Her slow heart meant a long life for her, though it came from supernatural means, she was still ensured her long life. She glanced down at her clothes, finding that she no longer wore the dark garments as a member of the Guard. She was dressed in a simple pair of jeans and a beige sweater, a thick waterproof coat adorning her torso. It was proper attire for this time of year for this location. Lilith had a vague sense of where she was but she wasn't certain.

She glanced up the dark road and back, there were no street lights and it was surrounded by thick trees. She reached up a hand to touch her blind eye, that eye was milky white but it could see beyond the physical of the human world. It may have been blind in a sense but she could see the shadows of the Allu that followed her always. At least that did not change...

She felt the scar that marred her left eye and felt the twinge of the dark scar on her collar bone. Her mark of death... They would have to be hidden. She took in a breath and focused, allowing the magic of her illusion to cover her form. Her glamour was very effective against the eyes of humans but not so much against other supernatural beings. She hoped this place that Alice lived in was not crawling with them...

She sighed after the spell was complete. To the outsider they would have seen her but her face would be completely free of scars and blemishes, the caramel skin seeming to draw in the moonlight that cast down from beyond the nearby trees. She looked at the truck she had been standing beside and moved to open it. Inside, she saw a simple purse made of brown leather on the passenger side and a matching briefcase. She checked through the belongings, finding that she had been given identification as well as currency for the local area. Dollars it seemed, she was in the US. The briefcase held what her human cover would be: she was moving to the town of Forks, Washington and she was filling in the position of the school nurse for the local high school. Huh... what had that to do with her Alice?

Gathering the purse and briefcase, she looked at the flat tires of the truck before slamming the door closed. All right, so she had a truck that was broken down and she had no way to Forks. How far was she from Forks? She sensed she was near to a human civilization but was not too sure if that was it. She sighed heavily, debating whether to walk or simply glide along the shadows. She could the latter but she didn't wish to risk anything this early in her quest. She could feel that her powers remained intact, did she truly need them since her Alice was a vampire? They were strong, nearly immortal, but even they could not escape death. Would she need her powers of as a Guard of the Realm? She hoped not. Her Alice would not harm her, she was sure of it...

A breeze blew through the trees, a strong breeze that didn't hide the sweet scent that would sometimes waft from Silvan's tall form. Vampires... and they were close. Without thinking, she took a step out into the road, following the sweet scent. There were four of them... Was her Alice among them?

She was so focused on the thought of her friend being so close, she didn't see the blaring lights of the car that was speeding down the road. There was a honking of a horn, a screeching of tires and she caught sight of headlights before everything went black.

…

The deer that had been gripped firmly within the pale hands was dropped without a second thought.

"Alice?"

The pixie like vampire stood above her kill, not hearing the sound of her husband's deep southern voice. Her gaze was fixed beyond the trees, beyond what lay in the here and now. She could see it, the driver trying to avoid the woman who had walked out into the middle of the road. The woman, whose form was not very clear, had been fixated on something. She had been walking toward where they were...

The vision was gone as quickly as it had come and she cried out, a look of pure distress falling across her beautiful face. A memory, a scent of deep earth and pine that had nothing to do with the surrounding forest, invaded her senses. She ran as fast as her inhuman feet would allow but she knew she was too far from the woman, too far from that familiar scent.

"Alice!" Her brother's voice called to her and she could hear Emmet's swift feet behind her as he, his wife Rosalie, and Jasper, chased after her. "Alice, what did you see!"

She didn't answer, she simply ran as fast as she could but she knew it was too late. By the time she had made it to the road, the driver had already hit her. She was sprawled on the ground and her blood filled the night air, an earthy scent that was so familiar, Alice couldn't help but cry out. She stuffed her fist in her mouth to block the sound and backed away, ignoring the feel of Jasper's strong hands on her tiny shoulders. "Alice?"

"Call Carlisle," she whimpered, her golden eyes focused on the crumpled form of the woman on the road. The driver had already called the police and the ambulance, thankfully he was sane enough to not leave her. "Call him and make sure he is the one to take care of her."

"Alice, what happened?" Rosalie had come close to her then, her golden hair falling in immaculate curls about her shoulders. "What did you see?"

Alice began to tremble, wishing now more than ever that she could cry. The sorrow that touched her dead heart was too great. If this woman died... "She's important to me, please... Just call Carlisle."


	3. Chapter 3

She was bouncing on the balls of her feet, not noticing Jasper's gentle touch on her shoulders. They were standing in the hallway outside of the doors to ER. When the ambulance had arrived at the scene of the accident, it took all of Alice's will power not to go running down there to make sure the woman was truly ok. She knew that the woman was alive, Alice could hear the faint beat of her heart from where she stood. The beat had been terribly slow, giving a thump every few moments, as if the woman were teetering on the edge of life and death. Considering that she had been hit by a car, it wasn't surprising.

The pixie had been so distraught even Jasper's calming effects was of little use. Rosalie had done as Alice requested and called their father's cell, informing him of the accident and of Alice's panic over the victim. She had had a vision but she had not given details as to what she had seen. She simply stated that Carlisle would have to be the one to care for the woman when the ambulance got there. The good doctor had not asked any questions, he usually didn't went it came to Alice's visions.

After the call had been made, Alice stated that she was going to the hospital and ran off without another word to her siblings. Her husband had stood with Rosalie and Emmett, his statuesque face set in a light frown. He had looked at his brother and sister, stated he would go with her to make sure his wife was all right. They could go back to the house to let Esme know what had happened. The other two beautiful vampires left without another word.

Alice and Jasper had gone on foot, moving faster than any human would be able to notice. They were at the hospital before the ambulance was and had made it inside to find their father. So here they were now, waiting for their father and waiting for the woman. It was a slow night at the hospital so it wasn't long before a tall man in a doctor's coat was making his way at a human pace toward the couple.

He was as beautiful as they were, all pale skin and strong features. His hair a gorgeous shade of gold that seemed to shimmer even under the fierce glow of the fluorescent lighting. His amber eyes caught the agitated state his the small woman was in and when he looked to her husband, the other man simply frowned and gave the tiniest shake of his head.

"Alice, calm down and tell me what's going on." The doctor's voice was calm and soothing, the lightest trace of an accent curling his musical words. When the dark haired pixie looked up at her father, she stopped bouncing and let loose an unneeded sigh.

"I- I'm not sure." She rubbed her temple, trying to look back on the vision that she had seen while hunting. She described in detail about the trees, the dark road, the blaring of the horn and the screeching of tires. The woman though, her vision had not focused on what the woman had looked like. She had appeared somewhat blurry, almost shadowy. "We were hunting and I saw her, she was about to get hit. I don't know why... I had to save her, I had to. I have this strong feeling that she is important..." She trailed off and cast her golden eyes up to Carlisle, a helpless look appearing on her gentle features. "You have to help her Carlisle, she was hit badly. Please, you have to. The ambulance will be here in five minutes."

Carlisle reached out a gentle hand to her arm and gave it a reassuring rub. "Don't worry Alice, I'll take of her. Why don't you go home? I'm sure Esme is worried."

Alice barely nodded in compliance as Jasper pulled her closer and gave her a gentle hug. He caught Carlisle's gaze and a look passed between them. They would have to talk to her later about her vision. If this woman was going to cause trouble for them, they would have to be on the lookout. It might not mean anything now and her visions were thankfully subjective.

When Jasper and Alice had finally left, Carlisle had gone to the nurse's station to grab a spare clipboard and the nearest file. He greeted the middle aged nurse who was sitting behind the desk, rather thankful that this particular woman was happily married with grown children. She was one of the few who didn't acknowledge the doctor's inhuman beauty in an obvious way or let it distract from her work. The doctor scribbled a few notes from what Alice had described of the accident.

Exactly five minutes later, the doors to the hallway opened and medics were wheeling in a woman on a gurney who was very much awake and sitting completely still. Carlise's amber eyes followed her as the medics wheeled her into the ER. As he watched her from the corner of his eyes he caught a ripple in the air about her, as if something had been distorted before she disappeared through doors. He blinked, a tiny frown turning the corners of his mouth down. That had been weird... He couldn't remember what her face had looked like. He had just seen it and now it was coming back all fuzzy in his mind. That had never happened before. He could remember everything that had happened within the last few moments with perfect clarity from the faces of the medics to the smudges of oil that were left on the handles of the gurney. Only the woman remained out of mind...

"Dr. Cullen!"

He turned just in time to see one of the medics, a young man with curly, mouse brown hair, emerging from the ER and running toward him. In his hand he carried a brown leather purse and dropped it on the desk of the nurse's station. "Good thing you're here, we have an accident victim in the ER now. You might wanna take a look at her if you're not busy."

"All right, did you get her name and information? She looked to be quite lucid on the way in."

The medic blinked and a faint blush appeared in his ears. "Actually, she wouldn't even give me her name. She said to just get all of her information from her purse so..." He looked at the nurse and handed the purse to her. "I didn't feel comfortable going through her things when she was staring at me like that."

The nurse took the purse without a word and took the matching wallet out, finding her ID as well as her insurance card right in the front pockets. She proceeded to fill out a new patient chart while Carlisle studied the medic with a gentle look of confusion. "How bad are her injuries? Any broken bones? Head trauma?"

The medic snapped his attention back to the doctor and shook his head. "Um, well... No sir, she hasn't any visible injuries." He reached up to scratch the back of his head as he looked back at the double doors to the ER. "She was just getting up from the pavement when we got to her. The driver of the car was freaking out at the time. We could see the blood on the bumper from where the car had hit her and there was blood on her coat and sweater. She didn't say anything to us and she simply waited while we got the gurney ready for her. When we tried to treat her for injuries, we didn't see a single scratch on her."

"She might have internal injuries..." Carlisle muttered as he reached out to take the patient's chart that the nurse had finished. His amber eyes flicked down to the name: Lilith Holloway. Hm, not exactly a popular name nowadays. The history of that particular name was not lost on the good doctor, whose own father had been pastor. He took in her age, a rather graceful age of twenty and four, before he gathered everything on the clipboard and made his way into the ER.

He could see that she had been placed on one of the beds further into the room. She had a head of short, black curls that framed a round and very normal face. She was staring straight ahead with a blank look on her face, as if she might have been in shock. Her clothes did bear traces of blood but that was all. Aside from that, she seemed like a regular human. A triage nurse was going over her and the look of confusion on her face as she inspected a caramel toned arm spoke measures. There were no visible injuries on the woman, no bruises, no gashes, not even a scratch. What about her had gotten Alice so spooked?

"Mrs. Holloway," Carlisle began as he walked closer to the bed. The nurse had looked up at the sound of the doctor's voice, a telltale blush appeared in her cheeks before she smiled and looked at the woman. She muttered a few words to her, words that he could hear perfectly. _You got Dr. Cullen, you'll be taken good care of._

He didn't hear or see the woman respond but he could tell that she was frowning slightly. "How are you feeling?" He placed a gentle smile on his lips as he moved around the nurse, who had flashed a smile his way as she went to attend to another patient. Left somewhat alone, he noticed quickly that the woman was not looking directly at him. Maybe she didn't like to answer to her last name. He took in a breath and tried again. "Lilith?"

At this the woman responded with a look, casting earthy brown eyes his way. Something flickered, not across her face, but around it. In a moment that was nearly too quick even for his own vampire eyes, he caught sight of a scar that marred her left eye, which was milky white. The very air rippled about her form and an aroma of deep earth and pine hit him like a battering ram. Her blood... Her very blood was unlike anything he had ever smelled before. It nearly called to his primal instincts, it was sweeter than anything physically possible in this world. Centuries of control nearly undone by this woman's strange blood. To wish to taste that blood... It didn't simply call to him, it strangled him with an energy that was beyond anything he had ever experienced.

All of this had happened within the span of a nanosecond. He had physically tensed to the point that the clipboard had cracked beneath his grip. As quickly as the scent of that strange blood bombarded his nostrils, it was gone. The scent, the energy behind it, was gone. He blinked his amber eyes, taking in a much needed breath as the familiar scents of the hospital and nearby humans filled his nose. The scent was no where to be found. He quickly glanced at the woman, who was now staring straight up at him as if nothing were amiss. Her face was perfectly normal.

Nothing could be read within those earthy orbs and he swallowed, tasting the scents that surrounded him. Nothing, not even a memory of that scent. Had he been imagining it? He could feel the hairline crack in the clipboard, a testament to the fact that he hadn't.

"I'm all right. No injuries anywhere. May I leave now?" Her voice bore a slight husk to it, a tiny hint of an accent stating that she might have fared from the Mississippi area. She kept her gaze focused straight on his, her eyes never wavering. Alarm bells went off in his head, something about this woman was not completely normal. Most humans would fidget, blush, stutter, do _something_ that showed their unease when meeting him. It was a natural reaction.

"I'll need to run a few tests to make sure you don't have any internal injuries. Any fractures might not be easily felt now but if healed wrong, it could cause complications." He said after a slight hesitation, glancing down at the near empty chart at the foot of the bed. There was nothing notated stating that she had a real reason to stay.

Lilith got to her feet and smoothed out the front of her bloody sweater. "I think, Dr. Cullen, that a wiser choice of action would be to discharge me. I will sign all of the release forms regarding my refusal of care. Trust me when I tell you, I am fine."

Something was compelling him to follow through with her request, a nagging feeling in the back of his mind telling him that it would be safer for the both of them to just let her go. He hesitated, his eyes searching the normal face for any signs of the strangeness he had caught a glimpse of. The light frown that twitched on her face set him into motion and he signed the chart for discharge. He knew that the faster the woman was gone, the quicker he could regain his control. "Very well Mrs. Holloway but if you begin to feel that something is wrong, I strongly suggest that you come back."

"Thank you," she said before she moved around him and headed for the double doors toward the nurses' station.

He stood there with the clipboard in hand, his fingers tensing slightly as he thought back on what had happened. He knew what he had seen and he knew what he had smelled yet all of that had happened so quickly even to his own vampire senses. Could he honestly be sure? He swallowed and followed after the woman, his amber eyes quickly searching for any signs of her. There was no one save for the nurse and he set the chart and clipboard in front of her. "Where had Mrs. Holloway gone? She had to sign some paperwork before we could discharge her."

The nurse looked up at him and a confused look appeared on her face. He didn't realize that a deep frown was playing on his face, no one had ever seen Dr. Cullen frown before. He quickly relaxed his features and offered a calm smile to the nurse, reassuring her that everything was fine. It wasn't.

"Oh, well she said to have all of the paperwork mailed to her home. She'll sign them and mail them back. I took her address from her ID, it looks like she bought the old Haverton out by the river." She raised a finely plucked brow at the doctor, a look of surprise touching her face. "I can't believe someone actually bought that old log cabin. After what had happened..." She trailed off and shook her head. "Anyway, don't concern yourself about it Dr. Cullen, she'll be true to her word. I have a feeling about that one." She smiled as she took the chart and set it aside. "You might be hearing more about her from your children I expect."

"My children?" Carlisle studied the nurse, wishing that for once he had Edward's mind reading ability, just this once. "What do you mean?"

The nurse glanced at the doctor and her smile grew larger as she started to gather a few more charts. "Ms. Holloway is going to be the new school nurse at Forks High. It was about time they found someone, Miriam was getting a bit tired with filling in..."

Carlisle wasn't listening as he gave a vague goodbye before walking off to head to his office. This was significant, it had to be. There was just something not right about that woman... Ms. Holloway? Huh, he must have assumed she was married. Not that it mattered... He stopped that train of thought right off as he entered his office and closed the door.

…

Outside of the hospital, Lilith held her purse and briefcase loosely in her hands, gathering her thoughts and control. That doctor was a vampire, a vampire working in a _hospital..._ She had been wondering how it was that he managed to sneak human blood when he had called her name. She looked up out of reflex and the sight of his amber eyes were not what she had been expecting. He didn't feed off of humans... The shock that had gone through her system at the similarities between this vampire and the one who had been her beloved had made her glamour flicker. In that instant, he had caught gotten a good whiff of her blood and the sudden tension in his pale and beautiful features was enough.

No, no, _no_!

There had been no possible way he could have had a reaction to her, no vampire did! She was a member of the Guard, a walker of the borders between life and death. Her blood was tainted with the pull of the shadows, the old magic that was allowed to her gave her barely live status freedom from the temptation her human blood had on the pale ones. Nearly all vampires who had come across her had naturally been repelled by her true scent. She was a hand of death, the final death, and no vampire wanted that, not when they were given eternity.

She ignored the strong thump her heart gave at the thought of the vampire, ignored the fact her blood had called to him. It was an unneeded difficulty and one that she would avoid in the future. She turned and walked toward the darkest shadows that lingered on the side of the building, away from the light of the parking lot. She didn't say a word as an inhumanely tall form detached itself from the shadows and a familiar pale face was looking down at her.

"Your first night in the human world and you get hit by a car..." Silvan's voice was neutral but Lilith knew hew guardian well after nearly a century. She walked toward him and frowned him at him, her glamour flickering about her form before falling away completely. Her milky white eye was a familiar sight to the old vampire and he allowed the tiniest hint of a smile to appear. He really was fond of his charge, she was the daughter he never had. Thankfully.

"Just take me to my home," she growled and Silvan simply chuckled as he gathered her within the dark folds of his cloak and they disappeared into the shadows.

…

Home was a lavish building surrounded by trees outside of town. Carlise was always glad to come home to his family and yet this one night, he couldn't help but feel hesitation. He was sitting inside of his Mercedes, staring at the lights that were shining through the windows of the first floor. He should have been inside now, greeting his family and yet...

He was afraid of what Alice would ask of him and he was afraid of what Edward might see in his mind. The momentary lapse in his control around that woman... how did it happen? How could it? And why did her scent suddenly disappear as if it had never existed?

A tap on the passenger side window caught his attention and he looked to see Alice standing, watching him with a concerned look. He unlocked the door and she hopped inside, closing the door behind her. She studied his face, her short black hair styled in its usual carefree manner. "I saw..."

"I know," he said, focusing his gaze back to the house. A muscle ticked in his jaw. "I don't know what happened..."

Alice followed his gaze and chewed thoughtfully on her lower lip. "I don't either... I can't see her clearly in my visions. There were so many outcomes, most of them ending in a way you wouldn't have liked. Something had happened though, something that helped you to regain control." She looked at him and focused on his amber eyes. "She was all right?"

The muscle ticked in his jaw once more and he took in an unneeded breath. "No injuries so I discharged her. She's going to be the new nurse at your school. Her name's Lilith. You might want to keep an eye on her. There's something different about her..." He trailed off, an image of her scarred face and blind eye playing over in his mind. He had barely caught that in time before it had disappeared with her scent. What was it about that human?

He continued to sit there as he allowed these thoughts to run rampant in his mind. Alice sat there with him, taking in the silence as her own thoughts were filled with the woman. Lilith... The named tumbled back and forth in her mind, catching here and there and yet not truly grasping onto anything. Was it familiar? She couldn't say and yet she knew that something was tying their future with this woman. No matter what choices she or her family made from here on out, this woman was going to leave a mark. She had seen it from the moment she had gotten home. The visions had been flickering from one moment to another, so many outcomes, so many different paths...

"We better head inside." Carlise's soothing voice broke her from her thoughts and she gave a nod. They both climbed out of the car and he kept his hand on the door, staring at the doorway to his home. Alice glanced at him and she gave an encouraging smile.

"Nothing bad happened. They won't think anything of it."

"What about Edward?"

Their gazes locked and Alice's smile remained. "Edward isn't going to say anything until you feel it's time. No need to make this any more than it needs to be. It was bound to happen. Even you can lose control once in awhile."

Carlisle didn't respond to that. He simply closed the car door and headed toward the house, the pixie following after him.

…

The cabin was a two bedroom, one bath abode that was on the very outer limits of town. It was halfway between Forks and La Push off the main road that ran between the town and the reservation. It had an excellent view of the nearby river and the nearly ten acres of land that was nothing more than trees. A guest cabin could be seen off in the distance and it looked smaller but just as comfortable. A detached garage capable of housing four standard sized cars rested behind the cabin. Since electricity didn't run this far out of town, a large generator was set up near the garage and looked as if it ran power for all of the buildings.

"This place was a perfect spot for you. It's out of the view of the locals so you can set up boundaries without being seen." Silvan glanced down at her and handed her the keys before turning to walk to the front door of the main cabin. "The owners have been trying to sell the land for ten years now so it was doing them a favor as well."

Lilith walked behind him, her gaze traveling up to the metal roof and along the log siding. It was small but quaint. It wasn't until she neared the front door that she the tingling along the back of her mind indicated a particularly strong presence. She sighed heavily, now understanding why the owners had been so keen to get rid of the place. The cabin was home to a very angry spirit and no human in their right mind would want to live here. Not if they wanted their sanity intact.

She allowed her natural sixth sense to reach out toward the surrounding walls, catching a feel of the the spirit somewhere in the attic. It was hiding and its anger was rolling off in thick, red waves. She sighed again and glanced up at Silvan. "How long has she been here?"

"Fifteen years," he replied, not missing a beat. "She was renting this place at the time. She was fighting depression for much of her life and when she had lost her only child to cancer it was the final straw. She took her own life right in the attic. She things that by taking her own life, she had damned herself to this state of existence." He glanced at her and gently rose a dark brow. "She needs peace of mind."

"Is she willing to move on?"

"I can't tell. A part of her wants to and then a part of her is afraid of letting go."

Lilith sighed and nodded, this was going to be a long night. She tightened her hold on her briefcase and purse, her gaze burning a hole through the front door. "I left the Nissan on the side of the road into town..."

"It'll be taken care of." He turned from her and started to walk away. "Be careful around that doctor. He is quite sensitive to the ways of the Guard so your abilities might let down at times around him. His father was a pastor so he is aware of some things beyond this physical world."

She glanced back at the retreating form of Silvan. At this range, he blended well with the surrounding darkness but her gaze had found him without hesitation. The night was a friend to her and did not hide its secrets from her. "Why did he react so strongly?"

Silvan's pale face appeared from the shadows, he had turned around to face her. He was silent for a moment, his mouth moving down in the tiniest of frowns. He seemed to be thinking, searching, before the frown disappeared and he returned his gaze to her. "I suppose it could be you are his singer."

Lilith's heart gave a strong thump in response before it stilled. Moments passed and the next thump was normal. "That can't be possible... I was Abel's singer."

Silvan studied his charge and his dark eyes took on a very serious tone. "Believe me when I say that having a singer does not mean you are destined to love. Abel was a different sort, he chose to live the way he did . Your blood called to him but he was able to ignore that and instead focused his attraction in a different way. That vampire in the hospital shows great restraint and control, even when faced with your scent. If given the chance he would have acted though and you had masked yourself before anything could happen."

"Vampires normally find my blood repulsive..." She was coming up with reasons as to why this vampire shouldn't have reacted as he had. Her close ties with death ensured her that she would not fall victim to those who preyed upon her humankind. He should have been disgusted not close to attacking.

"Normal vampires would and take it from a vampire who is no longer of that mold. Your true scent can indeed appealing to those who have no fear of death. I had smelled it before you were Marked and I can still catch it every now and again when you let your guard down. Just keep your guard up and he won't smell you." A gentle smile appeared at the surprised look on his charge's face and before she could say anything in reply, he had disappeared into the shadows and back to the border

Lilith stared at the shadows between the trees, dumbfounded at the conversation that had just taken place. Since when had Silvan ever called her appealing? He had never said anything of the sort to her in the near ninety years she had been training under him. She wondered if since she was technically no longer under his charge that he allowed himself to finally relax around her. She was an equal member of the Guard now with passing the final test.

At the thought of passing the test, the true reason as to why she was here made itself clear in her mind once again. She was here because of Alice, not because of some strange vampire doctor who had been close to draining of her of what life she had. Still, she wondered if maybe that vampire may be the key to finding her Alice. It was a small town, he must know something of her.

She focused her gaze on the front door and took in a breath. Well, first things first, she would have to confront the angry ghost of the woman in the attic. It wasn't going to be a pleasant living experience for her if the ghost refused to allow her to stay in peace. She closed her eyes, focusing her senses to the angry soul that was now flowing from one end of the attic to the other. The anger from this spirit was strong but it was aimed mostly at herself, which was a good thing. Lilith did not feel like battling tonight...

Turning the key to the lock, she opened the door and braced herself.


	4. Chapter 4

_(A/n) This story starts when Bella is first moving to town. I didn't note this in the first chapter sorry. This will be AU, some characters will be OOC, and of course the OC's will be prominent. _

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The moment the door closed behind her, a coldness descended upon the room in which she stood. The living room was fair sized with wall to wall beige carpeting that ended on the threshold of the small kitchen and dining room. Lilith took in a deep breath and sighed heavily, her breath easing out in one long silver stream. Something groaned above her and a clunking noise could be heard across the ceiling, as if something were being dragged.

She set her briefcase down along with her purse and her eyes trained on the very center of the living room. A few shadows had begun to appear at the corners of the room, the neutral spirits of the Allu that liked to follow her. They seemed to hesitate from drawing closer to her like they wished, the power of the anger that radiated from this spirit was enough to keep them at bay.

The clunking noise had grown even worse and goosebumps prickled along her arms and the hair on the back of her neck stood on end. This was a normal human reaction, one that she relished. It was a reminder of her origins, a simple statement to the fact that her body was still alive in its most basic form. Fear normally would have followed suit, especially when the white walls of the living room began to drip with blood. It oozed slowly from every crevice as the air grew colder. Oh dear, this was an angry spirit...

Without warning, a body fell from the ceiling and down to the carpet in front of her. It was a woman or what was left of a woman. She raised her head, the left side of her face was bloodied, the remnants of a gunshot wound still visible in the pale moonlight that streamed in through the bare windows. The woman rose unsteadily to her feet, blood dripping from her face and to the carpet. She took one step and then another, her dead, white orbs focused on Lilith. Another step and the next thing Lilith knew, the woman had appeared in front of her and reached out to her, her hand disappearing into Lilith's chest.

Lilith flinched at the foreign intrusion and winced as the ghost proceeded to squeeze her slow beating heart. The pain was intense but she had lived through these attacks before. She wasn't a member of the Guard for nothing...

"Die..." The woman croaked before she twisted her hand in an attempt to twist Lilith's heart. At that moment, memories of the ghost flitted through her mind: _A small girl cowering against a corner as a man moved toward her, pulling off a thick leather belt from his pants... A teenage girl getting shoved against a brick wall as a group of men surrounded her... A young woman, battered and bruised, wearing a beautiful smile on her face as she held onto a newborn... The woman smiling more as she lifted a toddler into the air, the child's laughter squealing with joy... The woman crying herself to sleep beside a hospital bed, a young boy rested in this bed, he looked gaunt and pale, a telltale sign of a shadow looming in the corner of the room... A tiny funeral, the woman looked broken and lost... A dark room, a bottle of whiskey beside her thigh and a gun in her hand... Tears streaming down her face as she took the gun to her head and pulled back the safety... Pain and then nothing..._

All of these memories appeared in rapid succession through Lilith's mind, the Guard catching every detail as she saw the woman's life. Despite how her life had been, she had been a good person. Lilith's heart began to ache...

What happened next stunned the ghost as Lilith's gaze focused on the woman. The member of the Guard reached out and gripped the woman's wrist gently and a flash of crimson light erupted from the contact. The ghost stared at Lilith in surprise as she gave the ghost's wrist a comforting squeeze, warmth and relief spreading up the ghost's arm. The ghost began to tremble as she gently released Lilith's heart. She sighed in relief as she held onto the ghost's wrist, her heart giving a strong thump with life.. The hand, which had been as solid as Lilith's own flesh, began to grow more transparent as Lilith moved her hand to gently intertwine their fingers.

The ghost's dead gaze focused on the milky white eye and then the healthy, earthy one. Her own fear was felt as Lilith's voice spoke in a calm and gentle manner. "I would appreciate it if you refrained from grabbing my heart. It does hurt a great deal..."

"You..." The ghost of the woman pulled her hand from Lilith's grasp as she studied the caramel toned skin of the member of the Guard, listening to that slow heartbeat. The ghost stumbled back a few steps as she stared at the live woman, the blood on the side of her face still dripping from her wound. "You're a Hand of Death... The Red Mother..."

Lilith was not surprised that the woman had known her, she was surprised the ghost had known the name by which the other members of the Guard had called her. Maybe it wasn't a name to tease her with anymore... She sighed heavily as she rubbed her chest and gave a single nod in confirmation.

The ghost of the woman began to tremble though from what Lilith could not be certain. It wasn't until the woman had fallen to her knees that Lilith made a move toward the angry ghost. By this time the walls had ceased in flowing with blood though the shadows still lingered in the corners. The ghost had wrapped her arms around herself, her anger turning to sorrow. "Of course. I had sinned greatly when I took my own life... The Red Mother herself is here to claim me with the guilt I feel... It has burned me for years now." She looked up at Lilith, her once dead eyes now bearing orbs of quiet hazel. "Why did you wait so long to claim me?"

Lilith kneeled in front of the woman and gently shook her head. She reached out to brush the blood from the ghost's face, the illusion growing weaker from the touch. The wound was nothing more than a dark hole now. "I have not come to claim you Celia. You have done nothing to warrant such a fate."

"But... but I have sinned!" She cried, the look in her eyes desperate as she reached out to cling to the other woman. It was strange to be able to touch another person, one who was still alive in a sense. She was so warm... The ghost named Celia closed her eyes as she leaned in close to rest her head against Lilith's breast, where her heart beat once every few moments. It was a testament to the strange life in which the Red Mother lived... Barely alive and yet not fully dead, able to walk as a member of the Guard of the Realm. She had heard of her from the ghosts that sometimes wandered through the forest, souls who had lost their lives to wild animals or the elements, but had not believed in her existence till now. "I had taken my life... That is the greatest sin."

"You had taken your life but you forget what life you had led." She reached out to grip the cold cheek of the ghost and lifted her gaze so she could look in her eyes. "You were a wonderful mother, an understanding friend to those who loved you. Your child had lived a happy life while he had and you were a good person despite the darkness that lingered around you."

"Why was he taken from me? Why?"

Lilith's heart ached even more, having hated this question from the very start of her training as a Guard. Why... She did not have the answer, no one did. Not even the Lord of Death himself had that answer. There was never a set plan to how life went, things happened for a reason and whatever that reason happened to be was always beyond Lilith's own understanding. Even in death, the answers to the why and how were never easily answered.

She pulled the ghost close against her, her life warming the cold sorrow and cooling the heated anger that gripped the ghost named Celia. By this time, the woman's form had become more transparent and silvery in color, a gentle mist lingered about her feet. Lilith allowed Celia her comfort, allowed the heart wrenching sobs to fill her own heart. The woman's own guilt and anger had been her suffering, it was time for her be with her child. "Do you want to see your son?"

Celia lifted her gaze and looked at the Lilith, her quiet hazel eyes filled with ghostly tears. "You... you know where he is? I can see him again?"

Lilith gave a nod as she pulled away from the bone chilling cold of the spirit. Her body had begun to tremble, an adverse reaction from being in the mortal world. "If you so wish, I can take you to him. I would hope that it was all right that I could stay here in your home. I wished your permission before you decided to leave..."

At this Celia nearly laughed and nodded happily, all too eager to see her son again. "Of course, please! Stay as long as you like, I don't care for this place. I always thought I was doomed here to be alone but now I that I know I can see my son again. Please, I'm ready..."

Lilith gave a nod and settled herself so that she say back on her heels. She closed her eyes as her body suddenly grew stiff and chill rose from her form. Her breath eased out in silver puffs and her slow beating heart grew softer in its thumping. A inkling of a trembling, silvery form emerged from the body and Lilith's spirit form took shape. She opened her eyes and reached out a hand to Celia, her smile was kind. "Come, let's cross the border..."

Celia, feeling a gentle touch of fear at the power this woman possessed, cautiously reached out to take the woman's hand. A moment passed and then everything was a blur of color as Lilith's spirit form shot up through the ceiling and into the night air. Celia let out a cry in surprise as she glanced down, seeing the cabin's metal roof, the roof of the garage and the guest cabin. They climbed higher and higher and she looked out, taking in the sight of Forks off in the distance, the lights from the town were twinkling. She looked in the opposite direction toward La Push, seeing the reservation's own lights, more subdued than the town. She could see the light of a bon fire somewhere on the beach. They climbed for a moment longer before the scene of the home she had known disappeared and they were bathed in warm light...

…

Alice's eyes snapped open, taking in unneeded gulps of air as she glanced around her room. She was safe on her bed, safe in her and Jasper's room. She was home...

"Alice..."

Her golden eyes flicked toward the doorway of her bedroom and she saw Edward standing there, his face was set in a gentle frown. He was a pale as she was with a tousle of bronze hair that seemed to always look as if he had just gotten out of bed. His own gold eyes were revealing the concern he felt, the worry...

"What was that?"

Of course he had seen it, his mind reading abilities were quite attuned to his sister because of her visions. This vision was like nothing he had ever seen before. Alice looked away and closed her eyes, wrapping her arms around herself as if trying to ward of the chill that remained. She heard Edward's quick steps as he rushed to her side and wrapped her within his arms, holding her close. He had seen the vision, had felt the fear...

"Is that woman gone?" His velvet voice was soothing, trying to ease the confusing pain his sister was feeling. Ever since Carlisle had returned from the hospital, Alice had been having strange visions of shadows, soul numbing coldness... In the center of this was a form, pulsing gently and very slowly with life, a warm light amidst a sea of utter finality. It was death, true death, something that not even vampires could escape. It centered around this woman, She was a doomed soul, death was focused on her no matter what choice she made and this death followed her wherever she went.

"I don't know... I feel she's still alive but just barely... I don't understand it. Carlisle had said nothing was wrong with her and yet I have trouble seeing her. There are shadows around her, no matter what it is I just can't focus on her..."

Alice was frightened of this death, frightened for the woman it followed. Whoever this woman was, she had already touched Alice to the core and there was no way of keeping the pixie from meeting her if she was truly alive. They would have to find out on Monday when school started...

Edward sighed heavily and held his sister close, trying to think of anything that could distract her from the sadness that lingered in her eyes. He remembered something a week prior, a vision she had had before this trouble. He rubbed her small shoulders as he pressed a kiss to her short, layered dark hair. "Have you seen anything else regarding the new student we'll be seeing Monday?"

At this, he began to feel Alice relaxing against him, the change of subject bring a much needed calm to her. She had been having visions of a human girl coming to Forks High, a pretty thing with a heart shaped face and thick brown hair that fell about her slender shoulders. The image of those chocolate brown eyes had haunted Edward from the moment he had seen them in Alice's mind. He smiled as he began to listen to Alice's musical voice as she went into detail of her last vision of the human girl...

…

Lilith gave a gasp as she took in much needed air, the thin ice that had formed on her skin cracking and falling away as her blood began its normal, slow flow. She sighed and looked around the living room, the heaviness of the Celia's sorrow and anger had gone away with her. There was nothing now but an odd sense of peace, a lingering feeling of happiness, even the shadows had retreated for awhile... Celia had found her son waiting for her the moment they crossed into the border. It had been a heart breaking reunion and Lilith had been glad that the mother could now finally enjoy her afterlife with the only love of her life.

She glanced up at the ceiling before she slowly got to her feet, ignoring the pins and needles feeling in her legs. Again, she relished the fact that her body still retained some semblance of humanity. After all that she had seen and done, she needed it as a reminder as to what she truly was. She slipped off her sneakers and socks before she left the cabin and proceeded barefoot out into the quiet night.

The moon was still shining beautifully and she took in a breath before placing a foot behind her and called the shadows to gather her close. The Allu shadows appeared beneath her feet, heeding her call as they lifted her, awaiting her command. She focused on the perimeter of her nearly ten acre of land, pinpointing the line that her land began. She leaned slightly forward and took off without a sound, gliding silently and quickly between the trees. She startled many birds, many small animals, and even a few herds of deer as she began marking the land at several points.

On the trees, the ground and between, a boundary was set against everything that she did not wish to pass. Her personal mark flared with crimson light, a circle with a six petaled flower within. It was Silvan who had appointed the mark to her, a testament to the life that still beat within her despite the death that followed her. This marks were tiny upon the physical land but it would keep all supernatural beings from crossing, be they dead or otherwise.

As she neared the point where she had started her boundaries, a prickling along the back of her skull alerted her to the presence of something already crossing before she had completed. She hummed in frustration, her alto voice keeping to a soothing tune as she neared the starting point. The marks flared with crimson light, connecting the imaginary lines of her land to something more substantial in the physical sense. With that done, she turned and glided back toward the cabin, sensing whatever that it was was moving quickly along the driveway. On the boundary of the trees, she settled back on the ground, the shadows retreating form her and merging with the darkness around her.

On the air, she caught the scent of sulfur and mist and she immediately relaxed, knowing that scent from anywhere. She walked slowly along the grass toward her cabin, catching an unfamiliar dark shape waiting for her on her front porch. As she neared, she caught sight of a pair of burning yellow orbs and the smile reached her face before she could stop it. "Dip, you're human."

The hellhound grinned in reply, revealing perfectly white teeth that were glowing slightly from the fire that burned within him. He was not quite as tall as Silvan but he still stood a good foot and half over her. His hair was the shade of black as his fur and hung in frazzled waves about his broad shoulders. His face was handsome in a rugged and wild sort of way, it suited his true nature. His skin was the same shade of caramel as her own, which she thought was funny. She had seen his human tone lean more to a darker shade the previous times. He was dressed comfortably in a pair of black slacks and a gray shirt that remained unbuttoned. He was barefoot and he leapt off the porch to land on the grass a foot from her.

She didn't react and simply laughed as he leaned forward to sniff at her neck. He wrinkled his nose at the scent of the vampire doctor that lingered over her clothing. "You smell too sweet." He growled as he leaned back away from her and studied her beneath the light of the moon. His gaze was lingering on her milky eye, an unreadable look crossing his features.

"You have no problem with Silvan's scent."

"Silvan's not a true vampire. His scent lost its potency countless centuries ago."

She walked past him and into the cabin, pulling off her coat and bloody sweater. The skin on her ribs was slightly bruised from where the car has plowed into her but it was healing nicely. The damage she sustained, though painful, never lasted for more than few hours to a day. It was a blessed thing she was able to pull her glamour up before those medics got to her.

She could hear Dip's dark chuckle as he followed behind her, knowing that he had seen her get hit and had been laughing his head off. She frowned as she made her way to the small laundry room off the side of the kitchen. "Shut it Dip before I send you back across the boundary."

She didn't really mean it. Like Silvan, Dip had been her guardian since her training had begun. Unlike the old vampire, the hellhound had been more fierce with his charge, her training with him having been intense. Her affection for him was deep though. The training that had left her close to death in the physical sense had prepared her for the trials she faced later on. It was no secret that he bore an intense hatred for the human when she had first arrived on the scene but over the years that hatred became layered with grudging respect. He disliked her but he tolerated her presence more than he had in the beginning. The fact that he was even here in the same room with her spoke measures.

"Why are you here anyway? Silvan left not too long ago." She threw her dirtied clothing into the washer, threw in some detergent and turned on the machine. She glanced back at the hellhound, catching his gaze lingering on the swell of her breasts. The bra she wore was stained with her blood and she watched as he inhaled the scent of her.

"Dip."

His burning yellow eyes snapped up to meet her gaze but he didn't look apologetic. There was no need for him to apologize for the lust that radiated from him. He was a hellhound not a human. "Day watch. Silvan can't come for obvious reasons so I'll be near during the waking hours. I'll be playing big brother and making sure you keep your guard up." That explained the skin tone, if he was going to play the older brother he would need to look the part.

"You won't be able to follow me to the school, they have a strict no pet policy." She smiled at the sight of the fire that sparked in his eyes and moved past him. She made her way to the master bedroom, seeing nothing but carpet to keep her company for the night. She sighed, noting the furniture and clothing she would need to acquire to make this place livable. She heard the heavy footsteps of Dip and didn't blink when he leaned in close to blow his hot breath against her ear. He reached around her and help up a plastic card, it looked like a bank card.

"I've set you up with an account at the local bank. You have enough to get you started. When you need more just ask."

She took the card without complaint and glanced back at him to see that his yellow orbs were now the same shade of earthy brown as her own. "Thanks. Playing as my twin?"

"Liam Holloway." He smirked at the name as he took a step back from her. "I'll be living in that guest cabin to keep up appearances."

"Nice to know you care about my reputation."

"Just following orders," he growled as he turned and made his way back to the living room. He always got defensive when someone teased his concern for her. He didn't want to be seen as weak, she knew that better than anyone. She was still glad that he cared even a tiny bit. "I've got a few things to take of before tomorrow. I left the truck outside for you and spare clothes for tomorrow."

She followed him through the living room and back outside. Sure enough the rusted white Nissan was sitting in her drive, the tires filled with air. She could see a small pile of clothes on the hood and she smiled at him as he looked at her. "Thanks."

"Make yourself forgettable."

She understood right away and gave a nod, watching as he ran off toward the darkness of the trees. His human form wavered and he shifted into the huge black wolf she knew. The sight of the embers that flowed from his open mouth always sent a shiver through her. He was a hound of death, a member of the Guard like her, and she was glad that she remained on his good side.

...

"You wanted to see me Carlisle?"

He glanced up from his paperwork to catch the sight of Alice standing in the doorway to his study. She looked worried and the doctor wondered what visions were plaguing her now. He beckoned her closer as he set his pen aside and reached out to grab a few papers that rested as far from the others as possible.

Alice noted the slight frown on his face as he glanced at the papers and she studied his face as he looked at her. "Take these with you tomorrow." He held out the papers and Alice's golden eyes flicked down to catch the sight of the name. Lilith Holloway...

They were forms for the woman to sign, AMA forms for refusing care. Alice was confused, why was Carlisle giving them to her? Of course the woman had not signed them, Carlisle said she had been in a rush to leave. The woman was supposed to be the new school nurse but there wasn't going to be a reason for Alice to see her. It was impossible for her kind to get sick...

She froze as a familiar tingle made its way across the front of her skull. A vision filled her mind and blocked her senses: _There was a small white room with a single window... Two small beds on either side... Jasper was sitting on one of these beds and he looked confused. The woman was there with him and standing by the window, the memory of that earth and pine scent washed over her. Alice couldn't see her face but Jasper's was as clear as a bell. He wasn't tempted, the usual strained look on his face was completely gone. She was helping him with something..._

The vision was gone as quickly as it had come and she blinked once, her eyes adjusting to the here and now. She looked down at the papers and caught Carlisle watching her with his calm, golden gaze. He had fed earlier and he looked better than he had when he came home. She smiled as she took the papers, feeling slightly hopeful as she glanced down at them. The woman, Lilith, was going to help her Jasper tomorrow. Something was going to trigger his need and she would help him.

"What did you see?"

Alice looked at her father and her smile grew, she was going to meet the nurse. Carlisle had given her an excuse and Jasper was going to be ok tomorrow. "I'll be meeting her tomorrow for sure. I couldn't see her well but she's going to do something good for Jasper."

Carlisle looked faintly surprised at this and his face grew thoughtful. Silence passed before he found his voice. "Will it change anything?"

Alice sighed and shook her head. "No, not really... Whatever she's going to do will help him for tomorrow. He'll still struggle with other humans but I sense that he'll be comfortable around her."

"That's a good thing. She has a way of hiding her scent completely, I don't know how."

"You had smelled her though..."

"I can't remember her scent. It was too quick for me to place to memory. She's not a normal human."

Alice's face grew thoughtful, her beautiful features enhanced by the concentration. "Do you remember her heartbeat? It had been very slow when she was hit, was it normal when you discharged her?"

He thought back on his encounter with Lilith, recounting the sound of her heart when the nurse had been checking her. He remembered now, he had been so caught off by her scent and the strangeness of her, he had nearly missed it. It had been slow, inhumanely slow. It had only beat once every few minutes despite the very healthy appearance of her. Her slow beating heart was of one who was moments from death. Carlisle looked at his daughter and shook his head, the alarm bells going off in his head.

Alice looked crestfallen at this and she glanced at the papers in her hand. "She is all right, I've seen it for myself..."

"Something is off about her though," he said, not liking that this strange human had such a strong affect on his daughter.

Alice gave a nod as she looked at Carlisle. "Death always follows her."

Silence followed this and the two vampires remained quiet, their thoughts remaining within the confines of their minds.


	5. Chapter 5

(A/n) Thanks to my anon reviewer! -=hugs tight=- and thanks to those who are reading anyway!

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Monday brought with it a flurry of emotion. Most of the student body were preoccupied with the thoughts of the new student that would be gracing the halls of Forks High. One student in particular was preoccupied with the thoughts of the new nurse who was now gracing the front desk of the main office.

Alice continued to bounce on the balls of her feet as she waited outside of the locked doors of the school. Students weren't permitted to enter the school until the first bell rung and yet the pixie continued to ignore the calming waves that Jasper sent to her. She was agitated, anxious, and nervous. The new school nurse was bringing a change to their lives, _her _life. Whether it was good or bad she couldn't say at the moment, but it was a change. Her siblings had not understood her urgency to get to school as early as possible, Edward had been confused along with the rest of them. This was something Alice needed to keep to herself and she was quite skilled at blocking Edward from her thoughts. She had been reciting the color schemes of an entire line of lipstick before they had arrived at school.

By the time the parking lot was filled with the other students of Forks High and the first bell rang, Alice pushed through the doors. She made her way, at a quick human pace, to the main office. Her breath nearly caught in her throat as she caught sight of a petite woman standing in the main office. Her back was facing the pixie and yet the short black curls screamed a familiarity that Alice could not comprehend.

She had her arms filled with folders and she was listening to the secretary with a patience that rivaled that of Carlisle's. It was obvious that the secretary thought that the new school nurse was not capable of figuring out how to do the simplest of tasks. Yet the school nurse listened, her posture was relaxed and Alice was sure she would have continued to stare at the woman if her family hadn't urged her to keep moving. Alice had to see her face, she had to... She knew that nothing would be complete until she saw the woman's face...

She was pulled from the window of the main office by her husband and onto her homeroom class. Throughout the day, Alice remained on slight edge after she had a vision of what lunch would bring. She kept her thoughts carefully guarded from Edward and tried to keep as calm as possible for Jasper's sake. She knew that what would happen would be essential to meeting the woman named Lilith and yet there was so much that could wrong...

At the start of the lunch hour, the Cullen clan made their way to the cafeteria and got their props together, their food as it were. They never ate any of it, mostly just pushed it around and squishing it down so that it looked as if they were doing something with it. Alice could tell that most of the students were preoccupied with the new student. Isabella Swan, she was a quiet girl who was sitting at a table of her fellow teenagers. She looked uncomfortable with them and yet Alice couldn't help but be pleased at the sight of curiosity on her face as she glanced their way.

Edward was staring at the girl, a look of confusion and interest flashing in his golden orbs. Emmett had muttered something to Edward, too low for any humans to hear but Alice was not paying any attention catch it. Her entire form grew rigid as the doors to the cafeteria opened and a woman entered, looking as out of place as they were. She was dressed in a pair of black slacks and a gray blouse, a white lab coat now framing her slender shoulders. A pair of low heeled black shoes adorned her feet and Alice could hear the gentle clicking of them as the nurse made her way to the lunch line. The pixie could not help but stare at the woman, stare at a face that made her dead heart almost feel as if it could beat again.

She was exotic, Alice had no other way to describe her. Her caramel skin looked as if it were kissed by the sun itself, her earthy brown eyes were so deep that Alice was sure that if she ever had the chance to look into them, she would drown. The short, black curls were twisted into a messy knot at the base of her neck, a stainless steel pen sticking out of it. She inhaled, taking in the scent of the surrounding humans and her family but she could not catch any hint of a scent from the woman. Carlisle had been right, she was able to mask her scent. Even so, Alice had a deep feeling that she would smell like freshly dug earth and ripe pine. This woman brought that feeling of home to the pixie... She knew that the moment they crossed paths, this woman would be as much of a protector to her as her own family.

As the nurse picked some food, (an apple, a bowl of questionable salad, and a slice of pizza) and made her way to the register, Alice felt Jasper tense beside her. He was completely rigid, the scent of a nearby girl, her name Whitney, wafting over as she tossed her sandy hair. The heat from the vents above their table didn't help in matters and the entire family grew stiff in apprehension. Not here, not now... but Alice knew it would be ok.

It happened in just a few moments, Jasper's eyes growing black from the scent of human blood and the sound of a tray falling to linoleum floor, food spilling and scattering everywhere. In a heartbeat, the nurse was right behind Jasper and taking his upper arm in a firm grip, at least for a human. Alice stared in surprise as the very air around the woman flickered, too quick for the human eye to notice and almost just as quick to the eyes of the vampires. Alice had caught it though and the woman's scent, deep earth and pine, hit her like nothing else. She felt herself grow weak, a desperate feeling of deja vu coursing through her. She was home, this woman was home to her...

"Come with me now," she muttered, too low for human ears but it was a plain as day to the Cullen children. Jasper looked up at the nurse in surprise, his nostrils flaring slightly as he caught wind of her scent the moment Alice had. The minute he smelled her, the hunger was gone and a slight look of apprehension flickered past. The others had not caught wind of her, the scent was only caught within an inch of her before it was gone.

Jasper didn't say a thing as the nurse pulled him from his chair, he staggered slightly on his feet, something that was unheard of. Alice looked at her brothers, Emmett and Edward, her sister Rosalie, and gave a tiny shake of her head. They had been about do something but had stilled at the look on Alice's face. She had seen this happening and it needed to happen, it had to...

Alice was to her feet without a moment's hesitation, following after the nurse and her husband. They left the cafeteria, Jasper following weakly behind the human woman as they made their way toward the nurse's office. The woman led him into a small room that bore a couple of fold out beds and urged him to sit down. He sat without hesitation, staring at the woman in confusion as she opened the small window to allow fresh air in. Alice had been about to enter the room when the woman rushed past her and toward a white cabinet. She pulled out a drawer and grabbed a packet of gauze, ripping off the paper wrapping.

The pixie could only watch in sheer bewilderment as the woman took a small blade, one that was used to open envelopes, and quickly pressed it against the palm of her hand. Crimson blood erupted from the wound and Alice held her breath out of habit, though there was no scent to avoid. The woman pressed the gauze against her wound, muttering under her breath. Too low, too low even for vampire ears, and Alice wondered what she was whispering, wondering why her earthy brown eyes were suddenly out of focus. There was a shift in the air and the woman turned, pausing briefly when she caught sight of the pixie standing by the door to the small room.

Silence passed and Alice could see the conflicting array of emotions scattering across the woman's face. Shock, disbelief, happiness, and then deep sadness... the emotions were gone as the nurse's face went blank and she hurried past the pixie. She stood in front of Jasper and thrust the gauze into his face without warning, covering his nose and mouth completely. "Inhale deeply."

He did as she instructed and at once his eyes returned to their normal, butterscotch hue. He glanced up at her as she instructed him to inhale again. He did and this time he coughed and gagged, backing away from the nurse's hand and taking in ragged breaths. He stared at the gauze and Alice followed his gaze, seeing that the woven material was clean. What had happened to the blood?

The woman threw the gauze into the nearest trash bin and folded her arms beneath her breasts, a worried frown creasing her features. "How do you feel?"

Jasper stared at the woman in confusion before he took a tentative breath, inhaling in a subtle manner that the human could not see. Alice had a feeling that the nurse could. The surprised confusion that appeared on his face was the same Alice had seen in her vision. He was staring at the nurse as if he had never seen anything like her. "I... can't smell anything. What was that you gave me?"

"Just a little something to help your nausea. You looked as if you would puke back in that lunch room from whatever food you smelled."

That was a lie, Alice knew it and she was certain Jasper could sense it. However, considering that they were supposed to be regular high school students, they couldn't downright challenge her for it. She was hiding something as well, whoever or whatever she was, and it was important enough to keep them from knowing at this moment. Though Alice had a feeling that this nurse was quite aware of what had made Jasper so tense.

"You should be all right for the rest of the day, just don't concentrate on anything that will trigger the nausea. Your sense of smell return to normal in several hours. You still have some time before your lunch is up, I suggest you head outside for some fresh air before your next class."

The nurse turned on the spot then and left the room, keeping her gaze straight forward as she passed Alice. She looked as if she were determined not to look at the pixie and for a fleeting moment, Alice had this strong desire to go to her and bury herself in the woman's arms. She didn't though, she didn't know who this woman was or why she made her feel these things. Was she supposed to know this woman? If so, from where?

"Alice."

She looked at Jasper and saw the confusion on his face had remained. She quickly went to his side and ran a gentle hand through the thick locks of his honey blond hair. He looked surprised as he reached up to gently touch her pale cheek. "You were watching her, what did she put on that gauze?" He spoke in that quiet murmur that only they could hear, gentle vampire whispers that allowed them to maintain their privacy and yet freedom to speak.

Alice swallowed and her golden eyes flicked toward the open window. "Her blood..." She ignored the shocked look on her husband's face and she focused instead on the side of the dreary sky beyond the window. "What did she smell like?"

Jasper was quiet a moment but he frowned slightly, trying to recall. "I didn't smell anything the first time I breathed in... The second time I caught a whiff of sulfur and something else." He shook his head and let out an unneeded sigh. "I gagged, my body didn't want anything to do with what I was breathing in. It was like my instincts knew that whatever it was was not safe for me. Whatever her blood did, it completely numbed my senses. It's weird that I can't smell a damn thing but for some reason it isn't bothering me." He glanced at his wife and she at him and for the first time, Alice could see the Jasper she saw at home. He was relaxed, completely relaxed. He would be all right today.

"Go to the window and take a few breaths of air, clear your lungs." She gave his pale cheek a sweet kiss and stood up gracefully. "I'll go and speak with her. She really helped you today..."

Jasper only nodded in agreement, still confused over all that had happened and yet he seemed completely at ease. He stood up to go to the window while Alice turned and went to the main part of the nurse's office. She saw the woman sitting behind the desk and pouring over some students' charts. She reminded Alice of Carlisle at that moment when he was home, always working diligently on patients' charts and paperwork.

She glided gracefully toward the desk and gave a beautiful smile as the nurse glanced up at her. Again, Alice caught sight of disbelief and then deep sadness sweeping through those dark orbs before it disappeared. She wondered what those strange emotions were for as the nurse gave a tentative smile in return. "How is your boyfriend feeling now?"

Alice visibly relaxed at the sound of her voice, it was slightly husky and had a tiny accent that reminded her of that feeling of home. "He is much better, just taking much needed air." She paused at this, so many unasked questions running through her mind. _Who are you? Why do I feel like I know you? Why do I feel safe with you? _Her smile faded a bit as she kept these questions to herself, no doubt the woman would find her strange for asking so. She inhaled instead, trying to catch that scent from earlier but there was nothing. "Thank you, Ms. Holloway."

"It's my job, that's what I'm here for." She turned her attention back to the charts in front of her, a look of slight pain appearing on her face. "Make sure he gets plenty to drink when he gets home. If he finds himself feeling nauseous any any point while at school, tell him to see me right away."

She would help him still, do whatever she had done to numb his senses and curb the thirst. Alice felt her smile return as she stared at the nurse, an overwhelming sense of love filling her heart. She had moved, about to give into her impulse to hug the woman but stopped herself from doing so when Ms. Holloway looked up at her. "I will tell him... I..." She trailed off and looked around, feeling awkward and nervous, she had no idea what was happening or why she felt as she did.

The silence went on and it was at this time that Alice caught the sound of a single heartbeat. She looked at the nurse but the heartbeat did not continue. Alice was close to panicking, wondering what was wrong with the woman she remembered that Carlisle had said her heartbeat was terribly slow. Why was that? At the reminder of her father, Alice reached into her designer bag at her side and pulled out a simple white envelope. "I was requested by my father to drop these off to you. I hope you remember him-"

"Dr. Cullen, yes I remember." The look on the woman's face was blank as she took the envelope and placed it on the pile of students' charts. "He was very kind. Which of his children are you?

"Alice."

The look on the woman's face went from blank to sad and back so quickly the pixie had almost missed it. Her name had meant something to the nurse, Alice was sure of it. She didn't get to question what she had seen because the nurse had nodded and went back to her charts. "I'll get the paperwork done and drop them off at the hospital. Thank you Ms. Cullen."

"Call me Alice," said the pixie out of reflex, her golden eyes studying the woman with such intensity. She wanted to hear her name from the woman's lips, to hear that voice that reminded her of home...

The woman looked up at the pixie, studying the dark cropped hair that spiked off in every direction, the golden eyes and pale, beautiful features. She sighed heavily and her voice made Alice want to cry. "Alice..." Her voice brought it back, that feeling of home, of being safe. It was a voice that had haunted her for all of her vampire life. "You can call me Lilith."

_Lilith..._

The name caught something in her mind this time and she embraced the feeling of it, longing to remember whatever it was. It never came, the memory remained out of place, but the feeling was there and Alice clung to it like a life raft. At that moment, a familiar tingle along the front of her skull brought a vision to her:

_A doctor's office... A shadowy form of a woman, it had to be Lilith, and Carlisle speaking to one another... Lilith's posture was tense and Carlisle was completely rigid... Something simmered between them, a deep golden thread was reaching and bonding..._

Alice blinked in surprise and glanced down at Lilith, taking in the sight of the questioning glance in her dark eyes. The pixie didn't know what she had seen but it was important, she had such a good feeling despite the tension she had seen in the vision. She smiled her brightest smile and gave a nod. "My father actually wanted to take care of those forms himself. He was really worried about you when he came home last night and he really wanted to make sure you were ok." She caught the slight frown on Lilith's face and hurried on. "Off the records of course, he won't make any note of it on your chart. It won't be a visit, I promise." She studied Lilith's face, noting the pucker that appeared between her brows when she frowned. She loved that.

"All right," said Lilith, giving a single nod in agreement. "I'll drop them off tonight. How long will he be at the hospital?"

"He's working the first shift today, so he'll be around till seven at night. You'll have enough time to meet up with him."

Lilith nodded and returned her attention to the charts. Alice stood there for a moment longer before Jasper came out of the small room, looking completely relaxed and having a gentle smile on his face. "Alice, ready for next class?"

Alice glanced back at him, taking in his relaxed form and gave a brilliant smile. "Yes." She looked at the nurse and reached out to take the woman's free hand. Her hand was not as hot as a normal human's, it almost felt normal to the touch. A slight pang of worry touched her, if she felt almost normal to Alice, how cool was her skin to a normal person?

Lilith glanced up at Alice and that same sadness from before touched her features. Alice kept the smile on her face as she gave the woman's hand the gentle squeeze and let go. She turned without a word and glided to her husband's side, who took her hand. They smiled back at the nurse, thanked her again, before disappearing into the hall and onto their next class...

…

Lilith remained at her desk, the terrible clutching feeling in her chest growing worse the moment after the two vampires had left. It had been such a close call, she had no idea what had made her rush to the vampire's aid. She supposed it was the sight of the terrible shadows that were gathering in anticipation of the girl's death or perhaps it was the blood lust that had taken over the warrior vampire. No matter what it was, there was no need for a death this day. She was here and she was quite adapt at preventing it. To see that it was that fearsome vampire from the Southern Vampire Wars had been a slight shock to her system. Why was he here of all places?

Oh she was quite familiar with that particular vampire. There had been talk of him among the members of the Guard, of his possible joining their ranks for years, which had never come to pass thank goodness. That particular vampire had kept the Guard very busy with his destruction of newborns during that vampire war. She hadn't been there herself but Silvan had and the stories he had told her. She was surprised that the fearsome Major Whitlock had simply allowed her scent to confuse him. There was something different of him then from what she had heard of and it wasn't until they had made it to her office that she saw why. Alice... Gentle, sweet Alice...

After all of these years, to finally see her Alice... and her Alice didn't remember her. It hurt, oh how it hurt. She had not expected her Alice to be right under her nose. She had a feeling that her superiors had been quite aware and needed her find out for herself. Still, it had hurt... It was a good thing she had dulled the Major's sense of smell, her blood in its minute form could dull the senses of any living thing. If he had tried taking a drink, it would have been his last and she didn't want to do that to the mate of her Alice. Her sweet Alice...

Of course, she had been warned but to actually see her and to see her face. Her gorgeous violet eyes were no more, they were now a shade of liquid gold. Perhaps she should be glad that they were such a gentle shade, seeing them crimson would have made her want to cry. Sweet, beautiful, innocent Alice... she didn't deserve what was done to her. Her family had been superstitious fools and had mistaken her gift as a seer for one who was mentally abnormal. She didn't deserve to be in that asylum, she had visions, she knew things, that was all. Of course back then, humans were just as scared of the supernatural as they were of the advances in science. It was all the same to them to those who feared what was not like them...

She ignored the clutching feeling in her chest as a familiar wisp of shadow caught her eye. It lingered at the corner of the door to her office, waiting for her before it disappeared. Getting to her feet without hesitation, she quickly left her office and followed the shadow, trusting it to guide her to the trouble. The gentle spirits of the Allu followed her, clung to her, and obeyed her. They were weak spirits but many in number that longed only for that breath of life. Since Lilith still bore that breath of life and walked the borders of death, she was a favorite of them and she trusted them to protect her.

This particular shadow was eager in its movements, trembling slightly as it led the Red Mother out of the nurse's office, out of the main office, out of the main building and through the campus. In the clouded day, the shadow was harder to see but Lilith was quite trained to catch the shifting of its form through the daylight. If it had been a sunny day, it would have been much harder and she was grateful for the constant covering of clouds. She followed the shadow all the way to building four when she caught wind of it, a piercing and deadly presence. It wasn't a calm death but a fiercely violent one. The shadow of it lingered outside of the building where a number of living beings were oblivious of the creature that hid among their numbers.

It was a vampire, one of the Cullen children to be precise, and from the violence that Lilith sensed from his form, he had just found his singer. She held back the urge to cover the entire building in darkness, it would only make the situation worse. She took in breath, her senses attuned to the primal creature focusing on the blood of his singer beside him. She closed her eyes and clenched her fist, focusing some of her magic into the ball of it. The Allu shadow with her trembled at the summoning as more of the gentle spirits emerged from the shadows of the buildings. They gathered together and formed a wavering mass of darkness, waiting for her command.

She opened her eyes and hummed a single note, her alto voice breaking the silence that gripped the campus. Her hum went slightly higher and the shadows stilled, taking in the command. _Bind the vampire tight, do not allow him to give in to his singer's call. Fill him with fear, send him away from this place until he can find himself._

At the final note, the shadows erupted and shot toward the building, disappearing through the wall and through the class of living beings. Not even a second later, the vampire's senses were blocked. He was holding his unneeded breath, his mind struggling to regain its former humanity. His singer was beside him and now safe, they were all now safe. _Stupid vampire... You would have destroyed so much..._

She stood outside in the cold, keeping an ear out for any of the staff should they need her. She needed to make sure that that Cullen boy would leave his singer alone. The shadows could only do so much to bind such a one as him. Her command had been strong but if the vampire's desire to kill overrode that then she could not overturn it. She hoped that the vampire was strong to ignore the call of his singer...

At the sound of the bell, a deep sigh escaped her as she saw the Cullen boy, a handsome bronze haired young man, rush from the class, a lingering of her shadows clinging to his form. He rushed through the campus to disappear to the parking lot. He had gone to his car to avoid the girl, to avoid the other humans. She smiled a little at that, he was able to ignore his singer's call for now... but was it enough?

The pile of children emerged a minute later and she caught sight of a petite girl with pale skin and long mahogany hair. Her chocolate brown eyes were conflicted between anger and sadness, apparently she had been drawn to her vampire as much as he to him. Lilith studied the girl as she made her way to the next class. It took a moment but the scent of the girl hit the Guard member, a sweet sent of freesias and lavenders. She bore the Old Blood, she was a Child of Hecate... To put it in basic terms, she was an untapped witch.

Lilith could see the girl's magic flowing about her slender form, somewhat wild and not yet reached its full potential. It protected her in a bubble and Lilith knew that if anything tried to get to her in a mental way, they would not reach her. The girl had no control of it but with proper guidance, she would be a force to be dealt with. A urge to protect the girl took over the nurse, she was a rarity in this day and age, a true child of the Old Blood. It made Lilith wonder of her parentage...

At that moment, the girl's brown orbs caught Lilith's gaze and the nurse could only look back in response. The girl was being talked to death by a teenage boy (the name Newton emerged from her memory, he had medication that he took once everyday before lunch) and the girl wasn't paying the slightest attention to him. Instead, her gaze flicked over the face of Lilith before a small and shy smile emerged. The girl had sensed it, Lilith had sensed it, a connection had been made between them and Lilith couldn't help but smile in return. It was at that moment that things had been set in place and Lilith vowed that she would do all she could to protect this Daughter of Hecate...

…

The hospital was quiet that evening, thank the heavens for that. There were only two emergencies and all the rest were standard visits. Carlisle was finishing the last of some paperwork that needed to be completed right away. Most were insurance forms for supplies, prescriptions, things like that. He was just signing the last of it when a buzz on his phone caught his attention. He hit the intercom button and continued to sign paperwork.

"Yes, this is Dr. Cullen."

"_Dr. Cullen, there is a visitor here to see you." _The simpering voice of the receptionist at the front desk grated his ears, that woman was always throwing herself at him. It was slowly wearing his patience down. At the message the lady had given a slight look of confusion touched his features.

"A visitor?"

"_Yes Dr. Cullen, a Ms. Lilith Holloway. She said that you were expecting her."_

Ms. Holloway? Carlisle felt his calm facade fail at the thought of the strange human. What was she doing here? _Why _was she here? Why hadn't Alice called him to warn him? A light frown touched his face at the thought of his pixie daughter. She would have seen this, there must be a reason that she didn't forewarn him. He sighed heavily and set his pen aside. "Yes... yes, please send her in."

He disconnected the call with a faint goodbye, baring himself for the visit that would happen within a few minutes. It didn't take as long as he had hoped, the knocking in his office door almost startling him from his meditative pose. He got to his feet and walked at a slower than human pace to the door, he took hold of the handle, counted to ten in his head and slowly opened it.

She was standing there, still dressed in her attire from her work. She would have passed easily as a doctor in the hospital from the very serious air that floated about her petite and curvy form. His golden eyes traveled quickly over the appearance and ignored the sudden spark of interest that clung in his mind. He cleared his throat in an unnecessary manner and flashed a quick smile her way. "Ms. Holloway, it's nice to see you in good health."

He caught the quick flicker of surprise on her face, those earthy orbs taking in the sight of him before quickly reverting to an indifferent state. "Hello Dr. Cullen, I do believe you were expecting me?"

He didn't say anything to that, he simply took a step back and held out a hand further into the office. She swept in without a word and Carlisle was quick to notice the distortion in the air around her. Her scent hit him as badly as it had the day before and his grip on the door handle tightened, the metal now bearing the imprint of his fingers. Deep earth and ripe pine... something else lingered though, a certain power that was driving his control to the brink. He swallowed and quickly closed the door behind him, holding his breath to avoid taking in more of the scent.

The minute she had turned to face him, he caught the sad look in her earthy eyes before it disappeared. She took in a breath and the air was distorted again, a fresh wave of her scent washed over him. He didn't need to inhale, the power behind it struck him through to the core. She could see the rigid posture of him and she looked away. "Your daughter had dropped off the AMA forms at my office, she told me you were concerned about my health..."

She reached into the brown leather case at her side and pulled out several folded pieces of paper. She set them on his desk and his golden eyes followed the length of her fingers. Her hands were small but her fingers bore a grace to him, the caramel skin calling to him in a way he didn't like. What was it about this human?

Lilith looked at him, her gaze taking in his pale features as her slow heartbeat gave a particular strong thump. "I'm not feeling anything out of place... Alice told me that this visit wouldn't be noted in my chart so..." She looked away, a troubled frown appearing on her face. It was normal and yet the memory of that marred eye had haunted Carlisle from the first moment they had met. "I'm ok... Nothing to worry over." She raised her gaze to his, taking in the sight of his pale and beautiful features. He noticed the faint touch of pink that touched her caramel cheeks and he was grateful that the scent did not reach him this time. She seemed to lose control of herself when she was feeling emotional... like now.

He winced as the air flickered above her as it usually did before her scent struck him. It was bad this time but not as bad as before... It called to him but the power behind it had lessened. "Alice is a lovely young woman, you should be very proud of her..."

Carlisle glanced at her, studying her features with keen intensity. He could see the sadness now, the longing... She knew his daughter in a way that he wasn't aware of. A slight frown touched his features as she gripped her briefcase tightly and walked toward the door, where he had been standing the entire time. "Your son, Jasper..." She paused in front of him at this and glanced up at him, her face now set in a worried frown. "He was feeling nauseous today... Make sure he gets plenty of liquids tonight before he comes to school tomorrow. Tell him if he is feeling at any point that he's going to be sick to come straight to me."

Carlisle could only give a nod in compliance, he didn't trust himself to speak. The venom pooling in his mouth was a sure sign that he would do something he would regret. Why did this particular human have to affect him? What was it about her?

Lilith seemed to notice the conflicted look on his face and she reached out to place her hand over his on the door handle. The feel of her skin against his caught him by surprise, it was slightly warmer than his own. That meant her skin was unnaturally cool by human standards. The warm feeling that had clicked into place at the contact didn't help in matters either. She caught his questioning gaze as she turned the handle for him and pulled the door open just enough for her to slip though.

"I'm sorry for making you uncomfortable Dr. Cullen," she said, her voice taking on a regretful tone that he did not miss. She seemed to be quite aware of what she was doing to him. "You're more aware than some people so it's a little harder for me..." She frowned at that, looking as if she didn't mean to let that slip. "Good night."

She disappeared before he managed to get a word in edgewise and his rigid posture gently relaxed. He took a moment to allow the air to flow before closing his door. He stared at the destroyed handle and yet it didn't seem to bother him. What bothered him was the lingering scent of deep earth and ripe pine, it was subtle but it was there, the power that usually pressed itself to him was not there. It got his venom flowing but not as badly, instead he focused on the scent, committing it to memory. He was confused beyond all reason on what had just happened...

He was going to speak with Alice as soon as he got home...


	6. Chapter 6

"So you found her."

Lilith dropped her briefcase by the door and set her keys on the small table that rested a foot away. She glanced toward the sight of a fully furnished living room, complete with brown leather sofa, love seat and arm chair. The hellhound was in his human form and slouched in the armchair, flipping through channels of satellite TV. She wondered how it was Dip had managed to get everything situated with the cabin so quickly before deciding not to think about it.

He had his ways, just as Silvan had his ways and she had her ways. They each had contacts within the mortal realm, people who were able to get them whatever they needed however they needed it. They were people who didn't ask questions, not when they were paid handsomely enough for their silence. Dip was one of the members who frequented the most seediest places of the human world. He knew people that would sell their own child without even blinking if it meant making a pretty penny.

She didn't reply to his statement as she slipped out of her shoes and made her way to the kitchen. Had she found her? It depended on the "her" that Dip was referring to. Yes, she had found her Alice but she had also found a child of the Old Blood to which she had felt a connection with. She opened the fridge, saw that it was filled to the brim with food, and by passed all of it to grab a bottle of water. She twisted off the cap and chugged the refreshing liquid, the water cooling the dryness of her throat. She closed her eyes and felt her body quickly absorb the water, shivering lightly at the slight contaminants from the plastic. It wasn't completely pure but it was better than tap. She would need to get a filter for the faucet tomorrow...

She sighed softly as the water began to refresh her parched body and her heart gave a revitalizing thump. Her body didn't need much food thanks to the old magic that was attuned to her but it did need water, lots of water. She was surprised she had managed to make it this far before she had begun to feel the fatigue the moment she had left Dr. Cullen's office. Using her glamour, healing her injuries, summoning the Allu, had wasted much of her magic and she was exhausted.

She didn't react when she felt a hot breath against her neck and hot hands bracing her slender shoulders. "Easy there Red, deep breaths..." Dip's gravely voice spoke just above her ear and she felt his strong arm tuck under her knees. He picked her up with little effort and took her to the master bedroom. He set her down on the sheets of a king sized bed and brushed the loose curls from her forehead. She was beginning to shiver and beads of sweat were forming on her brow. He sighed heavily and ripped her shirt down the middle, exposing her skin to the air. Her breath hitched and she tensed, a deep flush appearing on her clammy cheeks. Her body was incredibly hot now and her back arched, a cry of pain escaping her full lips. She began to tremble and quake, the dark scar on her right collar bone was twitching with ill intent. That was the one bit of true evil that she possessed and one that often fought to gain control. Bonding her with malicious spirits had not been the best decision to heal her supernatural wounds but considering any other option Silvan had at the time, there was little choice.

"You'll be all right, just keep fighting as you always have..."

He studied the human for a bit, always caught by surprise at how strong and slow her heartbeat remained during these recovery periods. He turned on his heel and left the room, leaving the door open in case she needed him. He slumped himself back down in the armchair, catching the inhumanely tall form of Silvan appearing from a shadowed corner of the room. Dip gave a nod in greeting as he continued flipping through channels, ignoring the cries of pure pain emanating from the back of the house. Silvan glanced at the hallway, a slight frown appearing on his pale face. "She used too much of her energy this time..."

"She's in the human world now. What did you expect?"

Silvan's frown deepened as he listened to the cries of pain, listened as her body regained the energy she had drained. "I just wished she wasn't in pain every time she replenished..."

"She still has a beating heart Silvan. She is using energy that no living human should be capable of harnessing. She will continue as she has for the last ninety years and bear with it."

The old vampire closed his eyes against the heart wrenching scream that emerged from his charge's mouth. She was in pain, something he didn't like from the very moment she crossed the borders. He had overseen her growth and he really hated that she was in so much pain every time her body needed to heal itself. If he could take away the pain he would but the only way that could be done was making her heart cease it its beating. Something that no one, not even Ankou himself, would grant to her. She would have to continue in her barely live status awhile longer. What her path entailed at this moment in time required it.

"She had found the child?" Silvan looked at his old friend, watching as the earthy brown eyes changed to a fiery yellow and back again.

"They had made the connection earlier today." Dip changed the channel again, landing on a cooking show. "But, you know, free will and shit... Anything is game at the moment."

"Anything you think might be of an issue?" Silvan ignored the sound of the TV, focusing on the screams coming from Lilith.

Dip threw the remote to the sofa and folded his hands behind his head. "Well, those vampires might mess up a few things but what can you do?"

Silvan glanced at the hellhound and he narrowed his eyes. "The doctor?"

"Yup," said Dip, punctuating the "p" with a loud pop. "The doctor's oldest 'son' has taken an interest in the child and the doctor himself had made an interesting connection with our dear Lilith."

"What kind of connection?"

The hellhound shrugged in response and remained silent, his eyes glancing up to catch sight of the tiny frown on the old vampire's pale face for a moment. Finally, he gave a feral smile and tilted his head to the side. "Emotions... Free will... Gotta love it huh?"

"DIP! SHUT THE HELL UP!" Lilith's voice boomed from the bedroom, a good dose of pure anger radiating from the human. It flowed out in a blast of crimson energy, shaking the very foundation of the house and the hellhound winced, though he continued to smile at Silvan in a knowing way.

"Ah, Red... Always worth annoying."

A scream of pure rage emerged and both the vampire and hellhound flinched slightly. Hell hath no fury like that of a woman's anger... Especially that of the Red Mother when she was healing. It sure was fun to provoke though.

…

Carlisle had stepped through the door from the garage and into the kitchen. He pulled off his scarf and coat, hanging them on the peg beside the door. All props, all of it... The lingering effects of a fading winter didn't bother his kind, not when they were as cold as the snow itself. He was recounting his encounter with Edward earlier that day, the despair that had gripped his face had cut Carlisle to the core.

_Edward?_

_I have to go Carlisle. I have to go now._

_What happened?_

_Nothing. Yet. But it will, if I stay..._

He sighed heavily at the memory of it. He had understood Edward's insistence on leaving and he had had given his car keys to his first son. His car was faster than Edward's silver Volvo and before he could say anything else, Edward was gone. Had he done the right thing in allowing him to leave? He wasn't so sure, he had hoped he hadn't hurt his son for his lack of trust in Edward's control...

"Don't worry, he'll be back by next week. He just needs some time to figure himself out."

Carlisle cast his golden eyes toward Alice, watching as she skipped to a stop beside him and gave a sweet smile. "Don't worry."

He studied his daughter before his thoughts focused on another thing that had been troubling him today. At the sight of the slight frown on his face, Alice's smile brightened and folded her hands behind her. "She's beautiful isn't she?"

Carlisle opened his mouth to speak but thought better of it and walked past her to set his briefcase on the counter. Was she beautiful? He didn't particularly notice, he had been focusing on ignoring the energy of her strange blood that always managed to get through his control. "Why didn't you warn me that she would be visiting?"

"It needed to happen Carlisle," she said, moving around him to look up at his face. "She's important to me for a reason I don't know yet and she's going to mean something to you."

He glanced down at her, his golden eyes staring into hers. She will mean something to him? In what way? What did this strange human have anything to do with his and his family's lives? "What is she going to do to this family?"

Alice frowned lightly, her eyes slowly going unfocused as she channeled through different futures that would tie with this woman. Carlisle wasn't expecting much, he had known that visions of Lilith Holloway were always hazy to Alice, no matter what decision was made. At last, Alice's gaze snapped back into focus and she looked up at her father, a gentle smile playing on her lips. "Nothing... She will just love. No matter what decision is made, I sense that she will love us in the purest way."

Love? A memory of her sad earthy eyes staring up at him had remained etched within his mind. _Alice is a lovely young woman, you should be proud of her..._ She knew Alice in some way, she was connected to his daughter. At that moment in time, the sadness that had touched her had been deep, longing...

Carlisle ran a hand over his fair hair, feeling Alice's lips press against his cheek before she turned and left the kitchen. He didn't know how long he had stood there deep in thought until he felt another pair of hands reach out to grip his own. He looked over and saw Esme, a beautiful smile playing on her pale face. Her golden brown hair fell luscious and thick about her shoulders. Her own golden eyes were focused on the man before her and she allowed a hint of sadness to appear. "This woman will be meaning something to you... I suppose betting against Alice now isn't in the family's best interest."

"You know her visions are subjective." Carlisle stared at his wife for all intents and purposes. Esme had been his closest friend, in the beginning of their relationship his lover, but they never had that deep connection that the other couples in the house had. The soul deepening bond that went beyond words, beyond the physical, beyond anything that made sense in an immortal's life. Still, Carlisle could not have hoped for a better person to help care for his family more than Esme. She was a woman who had more than enough love for her family to give and then some.

Esme allowed her smile to deepen just a bit and reached up to brush the golden hair that had fallen loose from its slick appearance and onto his brow. "We'll see what happens Carlisle. Let things happen, no matter what those things will be." She kissed him chastely on the lips, squeezed his hand once more, before turning and flitting out of the kitchen. In the living room, Carlise could see his two other sons, Jasper and Emmett, engaged in a competitive battle on a videogame console. Jasper seemed relaxed more than usual this evening and the doctor couldn't help but feel curiosity at the thought of it.

As usual, Jasper picked up on the emotions that were directed in his way and he glanced back at the doctor. A rare smile lit Jasper's face as he studied his father and gave a nod. "The nurse... She's a good person Carlisle."

Carlisle immediately understood what Jasper meant. Alice had said that Lilith would help Jasper with his thirst today and from Jasper's attitude now, it had worked in a way that he had not been expecting. He allowed a small smile toward Jasper, the smile growing as Emmett let out shout and flung his controller down, the result of it breaking the plastic item to pieces. Apparently even while distracted, Jasper had bested Emmett on this particular racing game and was not at all pleased about it.

Carlisle raised a hand in goodnight to his sons and turned toward the stairs, heading up to his study. He could hear Alice flitting about in her and Jasper's room, the rustling of clothing an indication that she was messing with her large wardrobe. Rosalie was in her and Emmett's room, humming softly to herself, most likely primping herself in whatever way she adored. Carlisle could hear Esme in her own room, listening softly to gentle music, the sound of a page turning catching his ear. He smiled softly, taking in the very normal nightly routine of his family.

He entered his study and looked around, taking in the sight of his familiar oak desk, the wooden walls lined with book shelves. This was his safe haven away from the everyday, where he studied his chosen profession to perfection. Three hundred plus years of medicine under his belt, his control against human blood perfect against anything so far. Why would it take the appearance of some strange human to shatter that to pieces? He sighed and ignored the darkness that this woman would likely bring to his family. As far as he was concerned, this Lilith Holloway was going to be a threat to his family's peace and it'll be a cold day in hell before he would allow anything to harm that peace.

…

The last few days, Edward Cullen was missing. Bella Swan couldn't understand why he was absent from school. After their first biology class together, it was as if he couldn't stand the sight of her before he had rushed out so fast. Awkward was the least of the words Bella would have used. Still, school continued on as it had from the first day, the student body still looking at her as if she were a shiny, new toy to play with. She ignored the interest of Mike Newton, the blond haired blue eyed jock of their class, though he continued to follow after throughout much of the days. Eric Yorkie was another one that tried to gain her attention, a tall kid, somewhat nerdy, that was a bit on the skinny side with dark hair that looked in desperate need of a wash. She had, however, found a potential good friend in a fellow classmate named Angela Webber, a very quiet girl who stood at an impressive height of six feet. She had light brown hair, light brown eyes, and a quiet smile that always lit her face. She was respectful of Bella's need to shy away from attention and didn't try to pry Bella's life story from her in one conversation. The connection between them had been instant and Bella was glad that she had found another quiet soul like her.

There was one other person that Bella felt a connection to but it was none of the other students on the campus. It was the mysterious nurse that was often seen at lunch time with a couple of other staff members at their designated table. Though the teachers and staff had their own lounge, Ms. Holloway was always seen in the cafeteria and sitting in a corner all her own. She was a quiet woman from what Bella had gathered from the gossip floating about the school. Her first day had actually been Bella's as well so she had felt an instant curiosity toward her fellow newcomer.

From what Bella had heard, Ms. Holloway had just moved to Forks this past weekend, having been nearly rundown by a passing car when she had walked out in the middle of a dark road, thanks to a couple of flat tires to her truck. Her introduction to the citizens of Forks had arrived in the form of an ambulance, a very embarrassing way to go to town, Bella was sure. Ms. Holloway had been OK but these small towns were in need of excitement so the gossip had spread like wild fire. Despite being new to town, no one knew anything else about her. She was a mystery, a quiet mystery that plucked at Bella's curiosity as much as Edward Cullen did.

After that strange Biology class, Bella had seen the nurse lingering outside of building four for whatever reason. The moment their eyes had locked, Bella had felt a strange connection with this woman. Not like with Edward, no it wasn't anything like what she had felt with the Cullen boy, but it was just as strong. When she had smiled at the nurse, Ms. Holloway had returned the smile in a hesitant way before turning and heading back to the front office. It had been strange, her entire first day had been strange but thankfully that was expected.

By the middle of the week Bella was beginning to fall into a routine. With Edward Cullen MIA and the rest of the Cullens keeping to themselves as of one of their status and looks should, Bella was growing slightly more comfortable. She wasn't getting as many stares and the whispering had calmed down to a manageable level. Mike and Eric were still competing with each other to gain her attention but she paid them no mind and focused her attention on her growing friendship with Angela. Things were looking to be all right. At least until Gym class...

Back in Phoenix, Bella had dropped Gym as soon as her sophomore year was complete. It was only mandatory the first two years after all. Not here in Forks, she was forced to endure Gym for rest of her high school career and she hated it. Coach Clapp had ignored her concerns regarding her constant clumsiness on her second day and she was forced to join in on the volleyball games. She really wasn't kidding in her clumsiness. Within the first five minutes, she had managed to hit the volleyball directly to the back of Lauren Mallory's blonde head and nearly got Jessica Stanley full in the face. Five minutes after that, the ball went sailing directly over the net and straight at Bella, who made an awkward dive to either get out of the way or aim to hit it.

The result was a less than graceful landing on her right foot and a shooting pain as it twisted in an uncomfortable way. She winced as she fell over, the ball slamming a foot away from her and bouncing off in the opposite direction. The coach blew on his annoying whistle and all playing of volleyball ceased. Bella felt that familiar flush in her cheeks as all eyes focused on her and she heard Mike rush quickly to her side as Coach Clapp rushed over and kneeled down in front of her to check her right foot.

It was already beginning to swell and Bella blinked away tears of frustration as the coach declared she needed to go to the nurse. When asked if she could stand on her own, she managed to get to her feet only to cry out in pain and nearly take Mike down with her, who had been helping her up. Coach Clapp had Jessica run off to grab the nurse and mentioned something about a wheelchair... Great.

Bella closed her eyes and willed herself away, ignoring the questions, ignoring the stares, ignoring everything. She hated the attention, she warned the coach not to let her play... After another ten minutes, the doors to the gym opened and Bella opened her eyes to see Jessica leading a calm looking Ms. Holloway toward the scene. Coach Clapp looked up and at once his face softened, a slight smile appearing on his face. Bella caught this quickly and would have laughed, apparently the coach had a liking to the nurse.

Ms. Holloway didn't have a wheelchair with her, much to Bella's relief. She only had a roll of elastic wrap in her hand. She gave a nod in greeting to the coach before she leaned down in front of Bella. "Hello Bella, looks as if your old school nurse wasn't kidding about you." Her earthy eyes caught Bella's own chocolate orbs and Bella couldn't help but relax. The connection she had felt from her first day seemed stronger now that Ms. Holloway was so near.

"I tried to warn them..." said Bella, her smile growing as the nurse let out a gentle laugh. Her fingers were slightly cold but they felt so nice against the swelling and she let out a sigh. It was strange how relaxed she was around the nurse but she supposed the nurse gave off that air. As Ms. Holloway gently untied Bella's sneaker and took it off along with the sock, Bella focused on the cool fingers as they gently turned her ankle over.

"It looks like a light sprain, nothing serious but you'll need to stay off of it for now." She smiled at Bella as she gently started to wrap the bandage around her swollen ankle to keep the movement to a minimum. Her fingers were so gentle and the moment she tied the bandage in a snug manner, she had completely forgotten that there was an audience watching them. Ms. Holloway had turned her attention to the coach, talking softly as she advised that Bella would need to be excused from the rest of the class.

Coach Clapp only nodded, the dazed smile on his face never leaving as he quickly agreed to what the nurse suggested. It all happened in less than a few minutes and the next thing Bella knew, she had changed into her regular clothes in the locker room. She was soon being helped out of the gym by the nurse, who was supporting her weight as they walked. They were near the parking lot at the moment and Ms. Holloway glanced at her charge, her earthy eyes studying her with slight concern. "I don't recommend driving at the moment. If you give me a few moments, I need to run to my office and call your father."

"No! Please!" Bella reached out and grabbed the nurse by the arm. "Please, I don't want to worry him. Would you..." She paused at this, her face growing warm with embarrassment "Could you give me a ride home?"

Ms. Holloway studied her, a look of understanding sweeping across her features. "All right... I'll need to clear a few things with the main office and then I can take you home. It's the last class so don't worry about leaving early."

Bella gave a nod in agreement and she was left alone as the nurse hurried along the campus to the front office. She had no idea what had made her ask the nurse to take her home but it was embarrassing enough that she had sprained her ankle and the whole student body will know of it by the time the last bell rung. Why did she feel as if she could trust the nurse so much? It was odd but Bella wasn't going to ignore her gut instinct.

It was only a few moments before Ms. Holloway was making her way quickly back toward Bella. She was pleased to see the the nurse had her own coat in hand and was rushing to get back to her side. Was she not the only one who felt this connection between them? She smiled as Ms. Holloway quickly took Bella by the waist and helped her toward the old and rusted red Chevy that was parked a bit away. Without hesitation, Bella dug in her pocket for her keys and handed them to the nurse. She was helped into the truck and was soon joined by the nurse, who climbed into the driver's side.

"I'll need directions," said Ms. Holloway, turning on the truck and the engine roaring in the silence of the parking lot. Bella rattled off the directions to her house and they were soon off, much to the amazement of Bella. How in the world did this come to pass? How often was a staff member willing to do this for a student? She had a feeling that Ms. Holloway wasn't often this nice to any of her patients.

"Thank you," said Bella, a telltale heat filling her ivory cheeks. "I know this is awkward. Um- what about your car...?"

"Don't worry about it, I'll call my brother to pick it up ." Ms. Holloway smiled at her as they drove down the quiet streets. The sky was a usual overcast of gray and the rest of the drive was followed in comfortable silence. The moment Ms. Holloway turned into the driveway of Bella's home, she sighed softly, the connection between them still as strong as it had been from that moment in gym. She didn't say anything as the nurse got out of the car and went around to help her out and to the front porch.

She handed the keys back to Bella, who unlocked the door and, with help, managed to hobble inside without falling. She dropped her backpack on the floor and pulled off her coat as Ms. Holloway helped her. "Thanks..." She smiled at the nurse as she went the living room to lay down on the couch. The nurse quickly grabbed one of the throw pillows and it set underneath Bella's right ankle, keeping it elevated.

"You're more than welcome Bella," said Ms. Holloway, amusement dancing in her eyes as began to unwrap the elastic to check her foot. The bruising had gotten worse and the swelling had grown a bit. The nurse sighed at the sight of it before wrapping the ankle firmly. She turned around to go into the kitchen, a slight look if interest appearing on her face before she disappeared around the corner. Bella heard the sound of the fridge door opening and closing, a moment later the cracking of an ice tray broke the silence. "Do you have any snack bags?"

"Cupboard under the sink!"

The sound of a cabinet door opening and closing reached her followed by the sound of ice clacking together as they were dropped into a plastic bag. Bella couldn't help but think it strange that the school nurse was in her father's house and getting her a bag of ice. She should have been embarrassed but again, that pull she felt toward the woman had allowed her to feel trust. She had a feeling that this woman was like her, an outsider, a watcher. They were similar in a way that Bella was still trying to figure out.

"Remember Bella," Ms. Holloway said as she came back into the living room and set the bag of ice on her swelled ankle. She winced at the feel of the freezing cold through the wrap but it did feel so good on her heated flesh. The nurse only smiled at her as she covered the ankle in ice and fluffed out the pillow so her foot was a little higher. "RICE."

"Rice?" Bella blinked in reply, wondering if the nurse was talking about what she wanted for dinner. She had a bag of white rice in the pantry but she didn't think she'd be able get up to start on it. Her ankle was beginning to throb in a painful way.

"Rest, ice, compression and elevation." She took a step back as she studied the girl, her earthy eyes flicking over her face and then above her. It looked as if she was seeing something that wasn't there, her eyes had a slightly glazed look. She snapped her attention back to Bella and her smile grew. "Stay off your feet the rest of the day, you should be all right by tomorrow." She glanced around the room, taking in the sight of the simple and yet homey atmosphere. "I take your father will be home soon?"

"Usually by six..." Bella continued to study the caramel tone of the woman's face. The nurse had such a beautiful skin tone and the black curls that had sprung free of her bun danced around her ears and brow. She wondered what her nationality was but it would have been a rude thing to ask her...

"My mother was a black woman." She pulled off her lab coat and set it on the arm chair with her briefcase and heavy coat. She caught Bella's eye and smiled, having noticed the curiosity on her face. "My father was a white man. At the time and place where I was born, there was still a very strong animosity between those two races. Well, lust can throw those barriers down real quick..."

"Where are you from?" Bella found her interest peaking as she watched the nurse roll up her sleeves to her brown blouse. Ms. Holloway disappeared back into the kitchen and Bella could hear the sound of cabinet doors opened and the dishes being pulled.

"Good ol' Mississippi," she called from the kitchen as the sound of running water hitting a pot breaking the silence that followed. Before Bella could ask what she was doing, the nurse called out that she was going to get started on dinner, a simple meal of burritos.

A few moments passed and, though embarrassed now, she called out her thanks and settled herself back against the couch. She reached over to grab the remote from the end stand and flipped on the TV, the sound of a sports channel breaking the silence. It was rather nice to not make dinner for once and even nicer to just relax. She glanced at the clock and noted her father would be home in a couple of hours. She could get started on her homework in a little bit and for once, Bella didn't worry about anything.

Time moved on as the smell of cooking rice and beans wafted throughout the house. By this time, Bella was working on her Biology homework when the front door opened followed by the sound of heavy boots. "Bells? I'm home!"

"Hi Dad!" Bella called from the living room, leaning up from her restful position as her father caught sight of her on the couch. A light frown graced his features as he studied his daughter. He was handsome in a slightly rugged way, his brown hair was cut in a fashion acceptable for the police force but some locks fell about his brow. His brown eyes darted from the bandaged ankle to his daughter's face and his confusion grew.

"What are you doing on the couch?"

"Accident in Gym class." Her face flushed with familiar warmth as her father continued to stare at her, his confusion giving way to understanding and slight worry.

"Are you ok? Who took you home?" He paused and looked around, catching the sound of Ms. Holloway in the kitchen. He looked at his daughter and his frown returned, pointing a thumb toward the kitchen. "Who's in there?"

"Chief Swan." Both father and daughter glanced back to catch sight of the nurse standing behind him, an easy smile playing on her lips. She was drying her hands on a towel before holding out her hand in greeting. "I'm Lilith Holloway, the new school nurse at Bella's school. It's nice to finally meet you."

"I twisted my ankle in Gym and Ms. Holloway was nice enough to take me home." Bella smiled at the nurse, the trust she felt toward the nurse for taking her out of an embarrassing situation winning points for both of them. "She wouldn't let me off the couch so she helped make to dinner."

Chief Swan had been staring at the nurse in surprise. The sound of his daughter's liking for the woman, as well as the fact that she had took care of her, helping to overcome the slight shock of finding her in his home. He reached out to take her hand, slightly shocked at the coolness of her skin, before giving it a firm shake. "Ms. Holloway, thank you for taking care of my daughter."

"After cooking dinner for you and Bella, I think we can get past formalities. Just call me Lilith." Her easy smile had grown and Bella caught the slight blush that appeared on her father's cheeks.

"Charlie then..."

Lilith laughed a little, the sound of it making Charlie's blush deeper. The nurse looked at Bella and gave a nod. "Keep off your feet tonight and the swelling should go down by morning. I'll have a note excusing you from Gym for the rest of the week so you can heal."

Bella's smile was blinding, anyone who was able to get her out of Gym rose quickly in the her ranks. She gave a nod as Lilith went over to grab her belongings. "If you don't feel up to driving tomorrow, just have Charlie call in the morning. I'll let the front office know."

Again, Bella smiled in reply and she shook her head. "No, I'll think I'll be all right tomorrow but I'll have Dad call just in case."

Both sets of brown eyes glanced at the Chief then and Charlie glanced quickly at the nurse before looking at his daughter. He cleared his throat and gave a nod. "Yeah, I don't see a problem with that." He ran a hand through his hair as he looked at Lilith, he still had a slight blush on his cheeks. "Are you staying for dinner? I feel a little guilty that you had to cook on top of caring for my daughter."

Lilith laughed a little and shook her head as she slipped on her coat. "Thank you Charlie but my brother's coming to pick me up so I don't want to keep him waiting."

"Your brother?"

A knock on the door at that moment made Charlie jump in surprise. Lilith's laughter, followed by Bella's, made his blush deepen and he went to open the door. The blush was gone as the sight of a tall man with frazzled, wavy dark hair filled his doorway. The man had the same caramel skin as Lilith's and the same earthy brown eyes but there was something eerie about him. He glanced at Charlie and flashed a smile, perfectly straight teeth giving him a predatory look. "Good evening Chief Swan, sorry to intrude." His voice was gravelly, as if he had been shouting for hours, and his eyes quickly found Lilith's as she walked toward him. "I'm Liam, Lilith's brother. We just moved to town so forgive us for not meeting earlier than this."

Lilith chuckled at the obvious discomfort that her brother was throwing off, the protective stance he had taken did not go past the chief or his daughter. The nurse shook her head and looked into the living room, raising a hand in farewell. "Hopefully I'll see you in the morning Bella, keep off your foot."

"Bye Lilith." Bella was smiling as she waved in return before going back to her homework. Charlie walked the Holloway siblings to the front porch, thanking Lilith again for caring for his daughter and for dinner. At this, Liam raised a dark brow as he threw confused look at his sister. She looked at him and simply shook her head, the look on her face stating to leave the discussion for later.

Charlie glanced between the two of them before he cleared his throat and caught Lilith's gaze. "So... you guys live at the old Haverton place?"

Lilith nodded in reply, though her smile wasn't as it had been when in the house. Disappointment flooded Charlie at the sight of it, she looked to be the type of person who didn't smile often. "Well, you live out quite a ways from town so um..." He reached into the front pocket of his police coat and pulled out a note pad. He clicked his pen and scribbled out his home number before ripping the paper off. "Just in case of anything, don't be afraid to call my house. I respond a lot quicker than the station."

"Thank you Charlie," she said, a hint of her real smile coming through as she took the paper and stuffed it in her pocket. "It was nice meeting you. Make sure Bella keeps her foot elevated."

He gave a nod and raised a hand in farewell as the two turned and made their way to an old, white Nissan truck. He watched them as they got in and backed out of the drive. From the passenger's side, he could make out that a deep frown was playing on Lilith's face. She was shaking her head in reply to whatever her brother was saying to her and slowly ran a hand over her forehead. As the truck disappeared down the street, he couldn't help but sense that Lilith, despite her smiles, seemed to have a deep sadness in her. Well, if his daughter was able to make her smile then he would talk with Bella about having her over more often. She had taken a liking to the woman, which must have spoke measures to the type of person she was. Bella was usually a good judge of character.

Rubbing his jaw, he turned around and went back into the house, the lingering smell of cooked dinner bringing the police chief a strange sense of something missing.


	7. Chapter 7

"Why haven't you made yourself forgettable? Some of the humans and the local vampires are becoming too curious. You do realize that starting a relationship with anything in the mortal realm will only end in disaster." Dip gripped the steering wheel with a tightness that would have scared a normal person. The sound of the vinyl squeaked under the pressure and the wheel would have cracked if Dip hadn't remembered to ease up. Lilith barely gave the hellhound a look as she stared out the windshield.

"He is her father. If I am to protect her, to train her in her magic, I need to gain his trust so that I may be close to her." She looked at the hellhound and narrowed her eyes, the milky white of her left eye looked eerie against the slight darkness of her face. "You tend to forget that I am, despite my ties with the Realm, a human. Forgive me that, for only a moment, I could allow myself to feel... _alive_." She looked away and sighed heavily, rubbing her forehead. "I do realize that growing close with anyone is not smart thing for us. I've known that for that last 90 years Dip but I _crave _the friendship, the normality... I had only felt that for the briefest moments in the hell that was my life and it had been snatched away." She glanced at him and he at her, for the first time he could feel deep loneliness that plagued her.

She looked away and Dip could sense the underlying sadness that went hand in hand with her slow beating heart. She was still a human beneath the old magic and her ties with death, her humanity ached to be with that of her own kind. He wished he didn't feel the burning protective stance toward her. Compared to Silvan, himself, and the rest of the members of the Guard, she was but a mere infant. She had seen things, had done things, in such a short span of time. Things that no normal human could be capable of doing without losing their sanity. She was right, he had forgotten in that moment that she was still human despite all she had experienced. She had such a strength within her, such a numbness toward all that death brought, it was easy to forget. Craving for companionship was a feeling that he could never understand since he was not human... Hell, her very humanity brought out a caring side to him that he had never known existed. He had hated her for that, had hated her for making him feel things he never had before. Her emotions had rubbed off on not only him, not only Silvan, but to those who had the chance to know her. For though they were surrounded by death, Lilith's beating heart brought a much needed sense of life to the Guard.

"I know that growing close with Bella, her father and all who will know her will not be the best of things." She closed her eyes and heaved a sigh, her body still hummed brightly with magic so she was not tired, that Dip knew. She would not need to replenish her magic for another month but her spirit was weary. He kept his eye on the road as they drove through the quiet streets of Forks. "However, I am connected with her as I am with Alice. They will be close, like sisters. I can feel it. Bella is important, even Lord Ankou and the Lady know it to be so. They would not have allowed me to find my Alice if it were not true. She and Alice will be the foundation to rebuilding what had been lost."

Dip remained silent at this, knowing that what Lilith spoke was the truth. Of course she was too damn perceptive in her ways and she would know exactly why she had been allowed to be free to find her Alice. There was though that damn thing that came with life and with humans and it was the free will that tied in with the fate, the everything in between... It was fate for certain things to take place but the path in which it could happen could twist off into so many different directions. The means to get to the ends might bring about more pain and anguish than Dip was willing to acknowledge. There was so much that could go wrong with just a single decision. He cared too much for Lilith's well being to see her in pain but it was not up to him to decide that. She could not fight this connection with this Daughter of Hecate and her Alice more than he could drown out the fire that burned within his own being...

The coldness that gripped his senses at that moment was beyond what was normal in the human world. It was hunger, pure and simple. There was no emotion, no conscience, just the need to feed... The truck had screeched to a halt on the main road that lead toward La Push. He glanced to his side and caught sight of the pure horror that was on Lilith's face. "How could it-"

"There's a weakness somewhere in the boundaries." He was out of the truck the moment he said those words and running toward the feel of the desperate coldness. Lilith was out of the truck a mere second after Dip and they took off in a flash of inhuman speed back toward Forks. Dip's human form had wavered and he shifted to his true form, the black fur bristling as sparks flowed from his open mouth. He caught sight of Lilith gliding ahead of him now, the dark shadows that flowed from beneath her feet propelling her toward the danger that threatened the soul of every living and dead innocent thing nearby.

Their pursuit put them on the outer edges of the surrounding forests of Forks, a distinct sweet smell on the air alerting to the presence of a few vampires. The cry of anguish that escaped Lilith's lips nearly stopped Dip in his tracks, he had never heard such a sound come from her lips before. The shadows had erupted from her body then, the malicious darkness that fought constantly to overcome her humanity was finally given its chance. He kept an ear on the eerie hum that was now emerging from her throat, a deep hum that began to stir the nearby Allu that always remained close to Lilith.

The dark blood that spread across her right shoulder of her shirt was an adverse reaction to the dark scar that was bound with the malicious spirits. He could see the veins in her neck growing black against her skin and he kept a good distance from her as they struck through the forests. He barely caught the harsh whisper as Lilith directed him to head back to the Swan house. There were two beings that had crossed and one was heading to where the young untapped witch resided. The other was heading toward the sweet smell of the vampires that were currently hunting the local wildlife.

Dip's fiery yellow orbs caught the gaze of his comrade and he couldn't help but allow an ounce of pride to fill him. Despite the heartless spirits that tainted her, the black veins that now stood out in contrast against her flesh, her heart continued to beat and her control remained, though not without strain. She allowed a cold smile, her teeth almost glowing in the darkness, before she slipped from view. The dead leaves turning up in disturbance was the only sign that she left behind, the telltale shadows following in her wake. Dip turned and ran back toward the Swan home, catching the scent of rotted flesh and ice.

…

Alice sat on the grass as she watched Rosalie and Esme finishing the last of their meals. After burying their kills, the three vampires sat beneath the trees, listening to the near silence of the night. Their voices were musical and soft, their topics of conversation ranging from decoration to fashion. Time seemed to move slowly this night, Alice couldn't help but feel as something was off...

"What's going on with that strange human you've been having visions of?" Rosalie was picking specks of dirt from her immaculate nails, her golden eyes flicking up to look at the tiny woman who sat across from her.

"Nothing. I haven't gotten anything of her." Alice sighed heavily as she twirled a leaf between her graceful fingers. "I was worried when she took Bella home but I didn't sense anything wrong. I always have trouble seeing her. She was at the Swan residence last I looked but even Bella looked distorted..." Alice trailed off, a look of concern clouding her beautiful features. She was honestly worried about the woman named Lilith.

Rosalie and Esme remained silent after this, they had spoken at length regarding what was to be done about both humans should the need arise. It was obvious that Isabella Swan was best to be left alone, she was an innocent child who didn't need to be swept up into anything supernatural. Lilith Holloway was a different matter, it was becoming quite apparent that she was more than what she seemed. Alice had been afraid to get close to her after their first meeting but the curiosity was becoming too much. If this woman was the key to unlocking her human past then Alice was going to pursue it. She was only afraid of what she was going to find along the way...

A rustling in the nearby bushes caught their hearing followed by a low, grinding noise that grated the vampires' sensitive hearing. It sounded like bone rubbing against bone and the crackling of frozen flesh... Alice's eyes grew wide as the coldness descended and for the first time in her vampire life, she felt true and utter fear for her life. The vision that came to her then was of some unknown creature, it attacked them, _them,_ vampires. It killed Esme in one fell swoop and bit down upon her chest, an unmistakable sound of venom pouring from the wound and down the creatures throat. It was drinking from her, drinking from a vampire. Rosalie tried to fight the creature off of their mother but it let out a terrible screeching. Rosalie's strength did damage to the creature but it didn't notice the cracked and frost bitten flesh that was torn away... It eyed the beautiful blonde vampire before reaching out and swiping a massive clawed hand... Her head came off with barely a sound...

"Run!" Alice screamed at the top of her lungs, rushing to her feet and pushing her mother and sister away. "Run now!"

"Alice, what happened! What did you-"

Rosalie glanced back at the pixie and froze when she caught sight of something emerging from the bushes. Alice looked over her shoulder and saw the creature, the fear turned to pure terror. It looked like someone had taken a woman's body and mutilated her beyond recognition. Long, pure black hair fell in tangled knots about a pure white face. Her face was cracked, frost biting her white flesh as a pair of pure white eyes focused on them. Her mouth hung open, revealing several rows of sharp teeth that dripped with some otherworldly essence. Her limbs looked as if they had been stretched to the point of popping, they were long and thin, her needle-like fingers ending with wicked looking claws. The creature was completely nude and it took in a breath, catching the sweet scent of the vampires. It clacked its teeth together and an unearthly, high pitched growl emerged from the depths of its torso.

"_RUN!"_Alice pushed Esme and Rosalie out of the way just as the creature leapt. The sickening feel of its claws struck across her back and a scream erupted, the pain was like nothing she had ever felt. She fell down to the ground, hearing the sound of her mother and sister's cries of distress. She could feel the cold breath of the creature as it hovered over, breathing in her scent. She closed her eyes as the terror went up at the dead coldness that touched her. Was this what it was like for humans? For animals? The fear and terror of being the prey...

Before she could even process what had happened she was being pushed out of the way by some unknown force. She cried out, the pain from the wounds on her back causing a icy fire to burn its way across her flesh. There was a low humming sound as the screeching of the creature grew, the terror falling away from Alice's frame. She found herself in the comforting arms of Esme, her tearless sobbing an indication that she too had felt the terror the creature had given off. She looked up at her mother and gave a weak smile, the wounds on her back pained her.

"Take her home." The voice that spoke was low in its tone, a husky hum that was pulling away the fear the creature gave off. They all looked to catch sight of the creature writhing beneath strong hold of a wooden staff, the very top of the staff bearing a blood red poppy flower. A silhouette of something could be seen grasping the staff tightly as it pinned the creature down. The very air about the silhouette flickered and Alice caught the sight of a familiar face. Her eyes widened as the bearer of the staff glanced back at them, a scarred, milky white eye visible beneath a fringe of black curls. "Get away from here _now_!"

Esme and Rosalie didn't need telling twice and as soon as Alice was safely within her mother's arms, they were gone in a flash. She looked over Esme's shoulder, catching the sight of a bright crimson flash followed by the scent of burning, rotted flesh. She closed her eyes and tucked her face within Esme's shoulder, trying her best to ignore the icy pain of the wounds on her back.

The moment they had rushed through the front doors of the house, all of the fear had given way to weariness. Jasper and Emmett were in the family room, playing videogames the moment the women came through the door. Jasper was the first to rush to their side, picking up on the distress the moment they were up the front porch.

"Esme! What happened to Alice?" Jasper carefully took his wife from their mother's arms and rushed her to the couch. He hissed at the sight of the deep gashes in his wife's back, listening as Esme and Rosalie tried their best to explain the strange attack from some unknown creature. The moment Carlisle had flitted down from his study, it was apparent that the wounds Alice suffered from were not going to heal of their own accord. The frost bitten flesh wound not fuse together, not even with the venom that seeped down...

"What in the world could have done this?" Carlisle felt true fear for the first time in his existence. There was something out there, something that could cause this much damage to a vampire... What in the hell was going on?

Alice was trembling from the aftereffects of the terror and the pain, how it was possible to feel so human again, so weak... She froze in place the moment the lights in the family room began to flicker, the front door opened on its own and suddenly everyone in the room could sense that there was another presence among them. They looked around, catching sight of nothing though it did not dispel the feeling they were being watched. Emmett was the one who flitted to the door to close it and the moment the door snapped closed, darkness descended upon the room. It was not simply the lights going out. It was pure and utter darkness that blinded their senses. They couldn't see, they couldn't hear, they couldn't smell... everything was blind to them.

Alice, however, could hear the sound of her family in shock and fear. She could feel the warm breath as it blew across the frost bitten flesh of her gashes. She sighed at the feel of warm fingers gently running across her wounds, pinching the stony, cold flesh together. She could smell the scent of deep earth and ripe pine that lingered behind her. She could feel the healing beginning and the venom stung her eyes as a soft, slightly husky voice spoke above her ear. "I am sorry you were hurt. It will not happen again, I promise you Alice. You will be well protected from now on." Warm lips pressed gently against her temple and she closed her eyes at the feel, the sense of familiarity growing. "I will ease the memory of this night so you and your family can relax."

"Lilith..." Alice whispered, knowing that it was the strange human who had come to her and her family's rescue. There was no response and suddenly the feel of a presence in their family room was gone. The darkness was gone and all of the vampires could only stand in their places, glancing at one another, the wonder at finding fear and panic on their faces catching them off guard.. They wouldn't remember the creature's attack, though the fear would remain. They wouldn't remember why it was that Alice's shirt bore deep slashes on the back, though her skin was perfectly healed. They would remember that something had happened, something strange, but it was something that was best left unspoken.

Alice would remember the terror that gripped her and she would remember the feel of warm fingers healing her ravaged flesh. She would remember the voice as it calmed and soothed her as it had so many times in her muddled flashes of human memories. Lilith had protected her and promised she would protect her from whatever would wish to harm her. Lilith was her old home...

Later on that night, after the strangeness that had occurred had been ignored, Alice had retreated to her and Jasper's room. She had entered her large walk in closet and moved to the very back. She caught sight of her husband's old pair of cowboy boots and a fond smile touched her lips. She didn't have the heart to throw away the piece of her husband's past. Though he had been willing to allow her to dress him in any way which pleased her, she knew that getting rid of the few things he treasured would not be good. Even if the memories were sure to cause him pain...

Ignoring the boots, she moved to a different corner of the closet and started pulling away old boxes. On the very bottom of this corner, an old wooden box had remained hidden from view. She pulled this box out and set it in front of her, the ache in her undead heart growing anew as she lifted the cover. Folded neatly within the box, an old nightgown rested as it had for 90 years. She carefully pulled the old fabric from the tissue that surrounded it and sniffed it. The scent wasn't as potent as it had been from her first night awake as a vampire. It smelled more like the wood of the box now but she could catch a very faint scent of earth and pine. It was the same as Lilith's... She allowed herself to sit upon the carpeted floor of the closet and allowed the feeling of home to envelope her. She had found her key to her past... Now there was simply the matter of finding a way to unlock it.

…

"Did you destroy the second Cri?"

Dip had emerged from the shadows of the trees, embers flowing freely from his teeth as he ran a black tongue along his chops. "I caught the bitch before she even made it toward the town limits."

The satisfied look on his face was enough for the Red Mother and she turned away from the hellhound. Her face still bore the dark veins but they were slowly receding. In her right hand, she was dragging the charred corpse of the one she had chased down, it was missing it's lower jaw and hand. She threw the corpse to the hellhound and wiped her hand on her jeans. "Sorry it's not fresh but figured you'd not want to waste it."

Dip caught the corpse of the creature with no complaint and the sound of charred flesh and bone crunching between strong sets of sharp teeth broke the silence. Lilith kept a firm hand on her wooden staff as she allowed her sixth sense to flow out to the surrounding area, delicately touching the boundaries between the human world and the Realm. It only took a moment but she caught the feel of a weakened part of the boundary. There were other dead creatures lingering around the edges, weaker beings that could not make it through in one shot as those other two had.

Not waiting for her companion, she took off without warning, gliding silently along the shadows toward the feel of the weakened boundary. The sound of heavy paws thumped behind her and soon were beside her, allowing her to take the lead. The moment her sixth sense had found the location of the weakened boundary, her heart had dropped at the sight. It was a child, nothing more than twelve year old girl... She had been mutilated and assaulted beyond recognition, her throat had been slit and her innocent blood had been spilled to the forest floor. She couldn't have been dead for more than a few days. Red hot anger bubbled beneath the calm surface, this act of violence for such a one so gentle...

"Easy Red," said Dip, lightly touched his warm nose against her free hand, knowing that protective and vengeful nature of her would cause serious damage any living or dead thing unfortunate to cross her path. "Take a breath and ease her gently along. She needs peace..."

The Red Mother calmed her growing anger as she knelt beside the child, humming a gentle lullaby as she gently rested her palm against the girl's dead heart. The life that flashed through her mind was short and so sweet. Her name was Julie, she had been a loving daughter, had two older brothers, her parents had been married 18 years... When she grew up, she was hoping to go to school to be a doctor like her own doctor, Dr. Cullen... Dr. Cullen's compassion and gentle nature had won the young girl over and she wanted to be just like him. She had been on her way home from school and stopped by the library to return a book... The men had grabbed her from the parking lot there. She's was missing for nearly a week now...

Lilith's sobs grew as she continued to hum the lullaby, her fingers working diligently as a soft crimson glow emerged from them. She gently eased the softly shimmering and silvery form of the child's ghost into her arms. Julie was sleeping peacefully now, the calm calling of death easing her sorrows. The moment the frost touched Lilith's flesh, her own spirit kept a firm hold on the girl as she took to the air toward the higher plane of the boundaries. The girl had been an innocent soul, she would not be tormented any longer. The warmth that bathed their silver forms was refreshing and the girl named Julie opened her eyes to the sight of golden light. A smile touched her lips as she saw that someone was waiting for her on the edges of a golden stream.

"Grandma..." The girl's voice was tight with emotion and Lilith was quick to set her down into the golden stream. Julie glanced back at the woman and her tiny voice whispered a thank you before turning and running into the arms of her grandmother. Lilith took a step back away from the stream and another step toward the edge of the boundaries. She smiled as the two disappeared toward their afterlife and she turned on the spot and descended back to the mortal world.

The moment she opened her eyes she was quick to set her mark about the child's body, binding the violence of her death to the mortal ground. The weakened state of the boundaries grew in strength and the dead creatures that stalked the lower planes of the Realm would not find an easy gate there. At the end of it all, Lilith was weaker in her magic and she had Dip to carry her back to Forks and to the main road toward La Push. The hellhound set her carefully back on her feet beside the truck, murmured that he would handle the care of the child's body for discovery. He urged her to head straight home to replenish before turning around and bounding back into the darkness of the trees.

Lilith had set her wooden staff against the pavement and watched as it wavered and fell away to the shadows. The red poppy glared like a drop of blood against the darkness before it too faded away. Once it had disappeared, Lilith's human body began to tremble and she slowly eased herself into the truck. It roared to life a moment later and she drove off back toward her home.

…

The rest of the week passed without incident. Despite the constant gazes from Bella Swan and Alice Cullen, Lilith had pulled her magic about herself, making herself forgettable to the others save for the two who always remained aware of her. No one remembered her unless they went to her office and the two souls to which she felt a connection with were somewhat afraid to approach her. Her sorrow ran deep and it showed.

The weekend was quiet as a soft rain fell upon all of the green. It had been on that quiet Sunday that the body of twelve year old Julie Spier was discovered by some hikers. The family was devastated. Lilith had kept herself home the following Monday and cried for hours and hours. Years of barely living on the borders of life and death and it only took a week in the mortal world to regain her humanity. The guilt she felt from the child's death ran too strong. Dip allowed her mourning and kept to himself. Silvan was much more comforting and held his charge as she cried.

…

Tuesday brought with it the surprise of a thin layer of snow and ice upon the ground. Lilith had awoken later than usual and went about in an mechanical fashion as she got ready for work. Dip was sitting in the armchair in his human form, playing some videogame on a new third generation console he had gotten a few days prior. He grumbled to her about being careful on the icy roads. She simply snorted in response and slammed the door behind her.

The roads were very icy and either Dip or Silvan had been sweet enough to put snow chains on her tires so she wouldn't go crashing into every parked car on Main Street. She checked her cell phone and nearly groaned at the time, seeing that she was going to be late for work. She should have been there before the students but she didn't feel the motivation with all that had happened the previous Wednesday. Her human emotions were weighing heavily with depression and guilt, something that she normally would not feel were she within the boundaries of the Realm. Being a barely living human in the human world was much harder than she would have imagined. She was fighting between her humanity and her role as a member of the Guard. Her guilt and her duty...

She sighed heavily as she followed behind a dark blue van that was traveling dangerously fast along the road. She continued to follow the van as it turned into the parking lot of the school. She followed behind until it turned to the right to go search for a parking space. She turned in the opposite direction toward the staff parking, driving slowly as she caught sight of Bella's old red Chevy to her left.

Bella was staring off in the direction of the school and Lilith followed her gaze to catch sight of the vampires. Her eyes were on the bronze haired Cullen boy standing four cars away from her and he was watching her in turn. The others were watching the staring going on between them, the air was crackling with electricity...

A hush of a shadow caught the corner of her eye, a dark shadow craving in anticipation of a coming death... The sound of screeching tires and brakes caught her hearing and Lilith's eyes grew wide as she caught sight of the reckless blue van skidding on the ice. She dropped her glamour, dropped her defenses, and zeroed in on the one soul who could protect the one who was aimed for death. She could feel he had a gift of the mind, no thoughts were secret to him, no mere human or vampire's anyway. She shifted her truck into gear and stepped on the gas, her thoughts screaming toward the bronze haired Cullen with all of her will.

_MOVE NOW! PROTECT HER!_

The vampire's eyes met with hers for a nanosecond, confusion giving way to horror. Lilith could see Alice crying out in protest, no doubt seeing the imminent crash in one of her visions. She only had a second to stop this and her truck careened forward, coming between the oncoming blue van and the old red Chevy. Lilith thrust the force behind her magic into one single clear note that rang from her lips and out toward the truck. The shadows that always followed her emerged unseen from beneath the parked cars nearby. They rushed to the wheels of the truck and formed a solid, unwavering mass that stopped the truck in its tracks.

Lilith was slammed forward from the abrupt stop, banging her head against the steering wheel. She groaned as she looked up, barely making out the sight of the Cullen boy leaping over her truck to go to Bella before the van crashed into the passenger's side. She was thrown to the side from the force, her truck an immovable obstacle thanks to the shadows that kept it bound. Unfortunately, all of that force was thrust upon her and her head slammed into the window, the glass shattering from the impact.

The smell of her blood assaulted her nose and she could sense the shadows wavering from their hold on her wheels. She let loose a low whistle, releasing the gentle spirits from her spell. They undid themselves from the wheels but they remained close by, waiting to come to her aid. Her breath hitched as she felt the stinging pain of glass within her scalp. Thankfully that was all she felt though her eye sight was starting to become unfocused. She slumped against the door for a moment before it suddenly gave way and she fell into a pair of tiny arms, her seat belt catching much of the weight.

"Lilith! Lil, are you ok?"

She opened her eyes and tried to focus on the sight of a pair of amber eyes staring down at her. The short, spiky black hair was immaculate as always and Lilith allowed a gentle smile to touch her lips. "Is Bella... all right?"

"Bella's fine! You... you saved her."

Lilith's smile grew a fraction as she reached out a gentle hand to touch the cool cheek. "Alice, always so sweet..." She closed her eyes as the dizziness grew worse and she made a mental note to curse her human body at some point. "Ch-check the other driver, make sure they're ok..."

She closed her eyes as the darkness of unconsciousness took over, not hearing the frantic calls of Alice as the tiny pixie clung to her. Lilith knew she wouldn't die, the Lady was adamant at keeping her human in her live status. Still, this was as close as she could get to not feeling the depression and guilt that had been plaguing her these last few days. Sleep wasn't wonderful because dreams plagued the mind, troubled dreams... This was just a welcome blackness, no thought, no care...just release...


	8. Chapter 8

The moment the blue van had crashed into the white pickup, Alice felt as if her world had shattered with the sound of the broken glass that spilled to the pavement. She wanted nothing more than to flash over to the truck as Edward had done but there were too many witnesses now watching the aftermath of the accident. As Alice ran as fast at a human pace as she could, she skirted around the back of the truck and hurried to the driver's side.

Her vision was perfect. While her gaze was focused on the sight of the shattered window and the matted black curls of Lilith, she could see Edward along her peripheral. Bella looked shaken but all right, glancing at the driver's side of the truck with a dazed look in her chocolate brown eyes. Alice left the well being of her soon-to-be best friend in the capable hands of her brother as she rushed to the driver's side door. She was careful not to rip the door from its hinges as she barely caught the limp form of the school nurse. The seat belt was still intact but the old truck was not meant to take a direct side hit. The seat belt couldn't stop amount of force that had sent Lilith's skull through the glass. Most of the energy behind the hit had been absorbed by the stationary truck but not all of it. Alice had seen that Lilith had done something to the truck the split second before the blue van had careened into it.

"Lilith! Lil, are you ok?"

Lilith's eyes fluttered open and, for a moment, the air around her face distorted before something, some strange energy, had fallen away completely. Alice held in the gasp at the sight of Lilith's face, the nasty scar slashed across her left eye, the orb was milky white from blindness... How had she hidden that? Alice didn't have time to ponder that as the school nurse asked if Bella was all right. Of course, the woman was hurt herself and yet she was concerned about the well being of the student who had almost been crushed.

"Bella's fine!" Alice tightened her hold on Lilith, her eyes welling with liquid that would never shed. "You... you saved her."

The strained smile on her face grew slightly and Alice felt a hand against her cheek, the flesh just a few degrees warmer than her own. "Alice, always so sweet..." She closed her eyes as she winced slightly, her hand falling away. The pixie listened as the woman muttered something about the other driver before falling into unconsciousness. Panic nearly took over as Alice searched the face of the nurse, checking to make sure her vitals were all right. If she had not known that Lilith's heart already beat at a terribly slow pace, she would have thought the woman had died. Thankfully, the pixie was somewhat familiar with the nurse's strangeness and she moved at a quick, human pace to undo the belt.

The sight of her blood should have set her hunger off but all Alice could feel was worry. All she could smell was pine and earth, that familiar scent that reminded her of an unknown home. She carefully began to pick the glass from the woman's curls, taking special care to not disturb the gashes. She could feel Edward's gaze but did not acknowledge him or the young woman beside him. She wasn't aware of anything until the sound of the ambulance arriving broke her concentration. She blinked, trying to retain her human facade as she looked up in time to see the EMTs rushing their way toward them. Bella looked on anxiously as the EMTs took the nurse from Alice's protective embrace and placed her on a gurney. Alice followed behind them, being the daughter of Dr. Cullen, they were familiar with the pixie and said nothing as she climbed into the back of the ambulance with them. She caught Edward's gaze then and sent out her thoughts to him, pleading him to contact Carlisle now.

He returned her gaze, his face set in a deep frown as he gave a nod in return and pulled out his cell phone. Bella looked between him and Alice before turning her attention to Edward. "Will Lily be ok? Can we follow behind them?" The look in the young woman's eyes were pleading, almost desperate. She was just as worried about the nurse as Alice was and the thought brought a much needed smile to her face. At least she wasn't the only one who cared about the woman...

…

Carlisle was on his way to the emergency room after receiving Edward's call. Alice was with her human, who had suffered another accident. This time though her accident had prevented the death of the new student, Bella Swan, the human Edward had been having trouble over. Trying not to think that in the span of a week, his family's peace was already shattering, Carlisle had arrived to see that Lilith Holloway had already been admitted.

He strode through the double doors, bracing himself for the natural onslaught that Lilith's blood usually brought. He found the woman lying in the same bed she had before but her dark curls were hidden underneath the thick, white bandages wrapped around her head. The triage nurse informed him that his patient had suffered a number of gashes to the left side of her skull but only needed several stitches. Aside from that she was fine, there was no sign of head trauma though her blood pressure was a bit worrisome. Carlisle simply hummed in reply as he took the chart from nurse as she went to attend to the other driver of the accident. He knew that Lilith's strange vitals were as they always had been: strangely slow. She seemed all right...

As he checked the notes on her chart, he was surprised the energy behind her blood did not break through his control. The scent of it simply appealed to him though not in a hungry way. Perhaps it was because she was unconscious?

The doors to the ER swung open and a familiar pixie was rushing at a quick human pace toward Carlisle. He didn't glance up but he could see his daughter on the edge of his vision as she stopped beside him, her amber eyes focused on her human. He didn't say anything about her presence, he simply completed the chart just as Alice said in a whisper too low for human ears, "She's going to wake up in a minute. She's going to be fine." He glanced at her and wondered how much of that was truth or merely wishful thinking. It was no secret that Alice had trouble seeing her friend in her visions.

Well, it was truth because exactly a minute later a low hum emerged from deep within the woman's throat, an alto tone that sent pleasant and strange shivers across his pale flesh. The energy that the woman possessed was growing and all at once he could feel his control beginning to wane. He took several steps away from the bed, ensuring temptation would not be so great since he was not so near. Alice shivered as well but she didn't seem affected by the energy as he was. A gentle frown touched his handsome face at the thought of it.

The moment Lilith opened her eyes and took in her surroundings, Alice was upon her and wrapping her in very close and human safe hug. Lilith merely stared at the pixie in surprise as Alice buried her face in the woman's neck. "Don't ever scare me like that again! You could have died!"

Lilith's mouth opened and then closed, her earthy eyes flicking over to catch sight of the doctor standing several feet away from her bed. She blinked in question and Carlisle could only shake his head, having no answer to give. Alice had grown attached to the woman the moment her visions had revealed the school nurse. He knew not why though he had a strong feeling Lilith might have the possible answer to that question.

Another moment had passed in which Alice hugged her human a little longer before pulling away. The door to the ER swung open again and a strong, floral scent wafted on the sterile air. Carlisle glanced over to find Bella Swan rushing down the between the beds, his son following at a human pace behind her. The next moment Bella was sitting on the other side of Lilith's bed, across from Alice. She reached forward and placed her hands on either side of the school nurse's face.

"Are you ok? I was so worried! You could have died!" She cried, echoing Alice's sentiments just moments before. Lilith stared at the teenager before she was enveloped in another tight hug, her brown eyes growing wide at the sudden display of affection. Apparently the woman was not used to public displays. "You saved my life Lily. That van would have crushed me if you hadn't been driving by at that moment."

"It... I was... just at the right place at the right time," said Lilith, the slight drawl of her southern Mississippi tongue seemed more pronounced this time around. She apparently was a bit dazed from both the accident and the attention. She carefully pulled Bella's arms from around her neck and gave a weak smile. "I guess it was the wrong place for me." She winced slightly at this as she placed a hand against her bandaged head. She caught Carlisle's eye and sighed heavily. "Mornin' Dr. Cullen. I take it you aren't here for a social call."

Alice laughed at that, glancing quickly to catch sight of the slightly stunned look on the doctor's face. Yes, that slight drawl of Lilith's accent was quite a step away from the stiff formal tones he had been addressed with the last time he had met her. The pixie couldn't help the excitement that bubbled up within her as she looked between the doctor and the school nurse. Edward caught the gist of her thoughts and he raised a slender brow in question. Alice caught it of course and gave a tiny shake of her head. _I will tell you later..._

There was some commotion as the driver of the blue van was being tended to by another nurse and a different doctor. He looked the worse for wear but all right. He was glancing over at the small group and at the school nurse, his mouth set in a thin line. He seemed to have heard everything that had gone on and the fact that he had nearly ran over Isabella Swan didn't go over so well with him...

The door to the ER swung open for a third time and the chief of police was walking purposefully down the aisle. He came to a stop behind his daughter, placing a firm hand upon her slender shoulder. His eyes were focused on the bandages that wrapped Lilith's head. "Lilith, are you ok? I came as soon as I got the call." His arm wrapped protectively around his daughter as he said this, the fact that it would have been his daughter in this bed not going passed him. He had gotten the details of the accident from the eye witnesses. If the nurse hadn't driven past at the moment...

Lilth looked up at Charlie and an easy smile touched her lips. "I'm fine Chief, just a scratch..."

No one but the Cullen children seemed to notice the tension that gripped Carlisle's form as he watched the ease in which Charlie Swan spoke with Lilith Holloway. The grip on the chart in his hand would not have been seen by human eyes but the Alice caught it and her eyes grew alight with excitement. She caught Edward's gaze and her smile grew, knowing that he was curious as to why their father was acting so wary of the fact that Lilith had such a ready smile for Charlie Swan.

"It wasn't just a scratch Lilith," said the good doctor, all eyes turning to him as he closed his patient's chart. He ignored the questioning glance his first son gave him as he moved closer to stand beside Alice, his golden eyes taking in the sight of her normal face. "You've suffered some trauma. You'll need to stay the night so we can keep an eye on you and I'm afraid that going against medical advice would not be an option at this point. You've suffered two accidents in such a short span of time-"

"Red..."

The sound of the gruff voice had everyone glancing over in surprise. The tall caramel skinned man with the frazzled, dark hair seemed to have appeared from nowhere. He was standing a bit to the side of Charlie as his earthy eyes quickly scanned the group before settling on Lilith. "Snow chains on your tires and you still manage to get run over..."

Lilith's eyes sparked with her usual temper as she sat a little straighter in her bed and moved carefully toward the side of the bed where Alice was standing. "Shut it brother. Just take me home..." She rose gracefully from the bed only for her legs to wobble and give out from beneath her.

Alice and Edward had been about to reach her but Carlisle caught her, his strong hands gripping her carefully by the elbows. He pulled her close to him for a fraction of a second, his nose lightly brushing against her dark curls. The scent of pine and fresh earth reached him and he tried his best not to groan from the pure lust that suddenly gripped him. He noticed that her breath had hitched and the air flickered around her face, the sight of her scarred eye flickering between normal and milky white with the disturbed air. The energy behind her scent increased slightly and were it not for the sudden hushed whisper that escaped her lips, too low for human ears, his control would have wavered.

"_...Let me go..."_

He released her at once and she carefully moved away from the doctor, the air remaining focused around her face. He could still catch her scent if he focused on her but that was only because he had the memory of it...

"C'mon Red, let's get you home."

The others watched as the very tall brother of Lilith Holloway moved around the bed to wrap a long arm around her waist for support. She leaned against him fully, the look on her face growing suddenly taking on an exhausted look. She didn't look at the others as her brother helped her away from the small group. It wasn't until an ice cold hand had reached out to her that she and Liam looked back. Alice's golden eyes were studying her with concern and deep worry.

"Lilith," she began, her eyes darting with slight fear to the tall man beside the school nurse. She returned her gaze to Lilith and the look in her eyes grew fierce with determination. "Are you sure you'll be all right?"

Lilith studied the pixie for a moment, the look on her face flickering between sadness and something else. It wasn't until Bella had stepped forward, her chocolate brown eyes flicking between Alice and Lilith that her face retained its blank mask. "I'll be fine."

Bella didn't seem to believe her and a slight frown appeared on her heart-shaped face. "If you need anything Lil, you have Ch- my Dad's home number. Call us ok?"

"That's right Lilith." Charlie moved forward to stand behind his daughter, his face filled with concern. "Don't hesitate to call us for anything all right?"

She seemed taken aback by the concern of those around her and she looked from Bella, to Charlie, and then to Alice before her gaze settled on Dr. Cullen. His face was a blank mask, his amber eyes never wavering from her own. She took in a breath as her heart gave a very strong beat before dead stillness. "I'll be all right... Thank you everyone." She looked up at her brother and gave a nod, her face taking on a sudden ashen look, the air about her flickering more so than usual. She looked so weak...

Carlisle, Alice and Edward noticed this but before they could say anything else, her brother had whisked her away from the ER and out to the corridor...

…

Later that night, after a particularity rough healing session to regain her magic, Lilith sat in the darkened living room all alone with only the light of the television to cast some shadow against her features. Dip had run off into the woods, scanning the borders of her land to make sure that there were no weak points. He understood that she needed her space after all that had happened and she needed time. Silvan knew his old charge better than anyone and after making sure she had healed just fine, had went back beyond the border of the realm. She was alone and she was alone with her troubled thoughts.

She had revealed herself to one of the Cullens, had revealed to the he was indeed capable of reading her thoughts in that split moment in time. Would he think anything of it? And what of Bella? Would she have sensed the shadows that had kept the white Nissan so firmly in place? She was a witch, a Child of Hecate, though she was unaware of her gifts it would seem. Did she sense Lilith's strangeness?

_Thump..._

_Thump..._

_Thump..._

Her heart gave a single, slow beat every few moments. It was her reminder that she was human underneath all of the magic that was attuned to her. They would have noticed by now how slow her heart was, how different she was... Both Alice and Bella... Their destiny was intertwined with her own. Lilith had to protect them from whatever darkness threatened them...

_Knock, knock, knock..._

The sound of someone at her door threw her off guard. She looked away from the TV, some recent movie that was portraying some age old war against vampires and werewolves. Knowing that it was not Silvan or Dip, (they would have simply appeared,) she got up from her seat and made her way to the front door. She knew it had to be one of the vampires, they would be one of the ones to show up at this time of night... but then how did they slip past her border without her, or Dip, knowing?

Opening the door, she blinked in surprise, finding the sight of a very worried heart-shaped face staring back at her.

"Bella?"


	9. Chapter 9

The moment Lilith had disappeared through the ER doors, with her brother holding her in support, the strangeness that had filled Bella's senses dissolved. Awareness of what she had witnessed and felt took over her mind. It had all happened so fast...

One moment, she was staring at Edward Cullen, who was several cars away from her own, wondering about the strange pull she had felt toward him since day one... The next she was staring at the side of a small, white pick up truck that had stopped right in front of her. It had stopped the careening path of a blue van that had skidded on the black ice. She did not realize that Edward was right beside her, asking if she was OK, not at first. Her attention had been focused on the white Nissan that had miraculously been in front of her own vehicle, stopping the blue van from crushing her.

She had noticed the strange dark shapes that had formed around the wheels of the white truck, had sensed the strange energy that had fallen away from the school nurse who had been driving the Nissan at the time. She knew at that moment in time that Ms. Holloway had saved her life. It wasn't until Alice Cullen had rushed to the side of the truck to help Lilith that Bella felt the strangeness in her senses fall away. She became aware that Edward was right beside her, holding her close against him in a protective manner. She glanced him, her chocolate brown eyes filled with confusion and concern. She knew that Edward had been nowhere near her the moment the accident had taken place and how he had gotten here so fast...

Her worry over the school nurse had set aside her concerns regarding Edward Cullen at the moment. Once Lilith had been taken away by the ambulance, Alice Cullen riding with her, Bella had pleaded with Edward to follow. It didn't take much convincing and they were in his silver Volvo following behind the ambulance.

She was relieved that by the time she was allowed into the ER, (thank goodness Edward was the son of Dr. Cullen) Lilith was awake. She rushed to the school nurse's side, feeling their connection growing strong the moment she grasped the nurse's face within her hands. Lilith was safe, the tension that had been clenching her chest disappeared. She felt such relief that Lily was OK... She was all right...

Lilith had looked so surprised at the fact that there were people who had been concerned for her. She didn't really admit to the fact that she had indeed saved Bella's life. She didn't say much at all actually. The moment she disappeared through the doors to the ER was the moment that brought Bella's focus to the strangeness of all that had happened.

It was here that she stood now, in front of the triage desk outside to the ER. Her eyes were focused on the pale boy beside her, her senses now entirely focused on him and who he was... _what_ he could possibly be...

"I need to talk to you."

Edward glanced at her before taking a step back from her, the muscle in his jaw ticking slightly. "Your father is waiting for you."

Bella glanced around at the few nurses and doctors that moved around the desk before focusing on Edward. "I'd like to speak with you alone, if you don't mind."

He glared at the brunette beauty before turning his back to her and making his way down the long corridor. Bella rushed after him, nearly running to keep up with his long strides. As soon as he turned a corner into a smaller hallway, he turned around to face her. "What do you want?"

His coldness intimidated her, his unfriendliness piercing a part of her heart she wasn't aware of. "You owe me an explanation," she said, her words filled with less severity than she intended.

"An explanation of what?" He inquired, his golden eyes bearing into her own.

She felt her heart nearly stutter at the intense gaze in his eyes and she swallowed back the tightness in her throat. "How you had gotten to me so fast. One moment you were there across the parking lot and the next, right when Lily's car had passed in front of me, you were right there." She stared up at Edward, her heart beginning to pound in her chest. "There was no way you could have gotten to me in a split second."

Edward stared at her in an incredulous manner but his face was intense, the look in his golden eyes defensive. "You think that I moved from one place to another in the blink of an eye?" It was a perfectly delivered line from a very skilled actor.

Bella simply nodded in response, her jaw clenched tight.

"Nobody will believe that you know." His voice held an edge of derision now. Her heart nearly stuttered at the thought of it.

"I won't tell anybody," said Bella, her words coming carefully, each syllable holding a hint of her growing anger.

Surprise flitted across his face and he glanced at her as if he had never seen anything like her before. "Then why does it matter?"

She lifted her chin, a defiant stance touching her slender shoulders. "It matters to me. I don't like to lie so there's better be a good reason why I'm doing it."

"Can't you just drop it and get over it?" His golden eyes flicked between hers, his beautiful face striking a cord within Bella's young soul.

She stared up at him defiance, feeling a part of anger bubbling at the fact that this boy, this young man actually, would try to intimidate her. "No."

"In that case... I hope you enjoy disappointment." He scowled at her and Bella felt her anger waver, the sight of his glorious face was becoming to distracting. It was like trying to stare down a destroying angel, too beautiful and awe-inspiring to avoid...

He turned his back on her at that moment and walked away. Bella, herself, was so angry that it took her a few moments to walk. She found herself at the exit of the corridor and in the waiting room. It seemed like every face she knew in Forks was there, staring at her. They were all curious as to what had happened with the accident, what had happened to the school nurse... Bella hated the attention and she wasn't even the one who had been hurt.

Charlie was there in heartbeat and put an arm around her back, holding her in a protective manner as they walked through the glass doors of the exit. She glanced back at her friends and gave a sheepish wave, trying to convey that there were no ill feelings regarding her abrupt departure. In all honesty, she had never been so glad to be in her father's cruiser...

…

It was the silence that had bothered her. The moment Charlie had brought them home, Bella feigned feeling tired and going to bed early. She had called her mother, out of respect of the fact that Charlie had already informed Renee of the near accident. She loved her mother dearly and stressed that nothing had happened to her. Not physically anyway. Mentally and emotionally, that was a different story.

She couldn't ignore the mystery that was Edward Cullen. She couldn't ignore the strangeness that was Lilith Holloway. Try as she might, whenever she fell asleep, Edward filled her dreams... Lilith danced just beyond the edge...

She woke up in the middle of the night, feeling completely drained and wide awake. She stared at the ceiling of her bedroom and decided to try and ease one of the mysteries that plagued her. Lilith was one of them and she already knew the nurse's address thanks to Charlie. Approaching Lily seemed a smarter venture than trying to focus on Edward at the moment.

It was twenty minutes later that Bella found herself driving out of the main part of Forks and down the road that led to La Push. There were only a few street lights that guided the way and the moment she caught sight of the small turn off that led to the old Haverton place, she had nearly missed it. The driveway was long and completely surrounded by the thick forest on either side. At one point, Bella felt as if something had washed over her, a tingling sensation that twanged on the ends of her nerves in a pleasant way.

As the final turn to the long drive emerged, she caught sight of a clearing. A simple log cabin rested, in the back a large garage and a generator could be seen. Bella parked the truck in front of the cabin and slowly got out, her fear beginning to make itself known. She took in a breath and closed the door to the old Chevy, she was here now and there was no sense in turning back.

She made her way up to the cabin, up the front porch steps and knocked on the door. The sound of a television could be heard and then Bella heard light footsteps making its away toward the door. The steps sounded muffled, as if there were carpeting. A moment later, the door opened and Lilith stood in front of her, her earthy brown eyes growing wide at the sight of the teenager.

"Bella?"

Bella was stunned to find that Lily looked fine. The bandages that had been around her head earlier in the day were gone now. In fact, Lily looked a great deal better than she had since she left the hospital. She was studying the young woman with curiosity before she sighed heavily and moved aside to let Bella in. The younger woman found herself in a well furnished living room, the sight and sound of a flat screen TV bombarding her senses.

Lily closed the door behind her and moved toward the armchair she had abandoned, taking the remote and shutting off the TV. She turned on the standing lamp that stood beside the armchair, gentle light filling the large room. She threw the remote onto the loveseat before looking at Bella, her face set in a slight, worried frown. "What's wrong?"

Bella stared at the older woman, her heart skipping in its beat, as every emotion that had transpired from the moment of her first day of school to this day erupted. She rushed forward and threw herself at Lily, burying herself against the cool crook of the woman's neck. Lily held onto her, her gentle hands moving over the soft brown waves as she shushed Bella softly.

It took a few moments to regain her composure but Bella finally pulled away, wiping away a few stray tears. "I'm sorry Lily, I just-"

"Don't apologize Bella. You did nothing wrong." Lily took her by the arm and led her to the sofa, easing her down gently before she went to grab a box of tissues. Bella smiled gratefully as she took a few tissues and blew her nose.

"I was so worried..." she continued, her chocolate brown eyes focusing on the school nurse. "You saved me today Lily. I don't know how you did but it had happened. You knew that van was going to hit me and you stopped it. Didn't you?" That last question was more of statement and Lily gently sat next to the teenager, reaching out to brush the hair from her eyes.

"What do you think? What do you honestly sensed that happened today?"

"I was going to die." Bella stared at her slender hands, her pale cheeks now flushed with emotion. "I would have died if you or Ed-" She caught herself then and looked at Lily, her eyes taking in the knowing look on the nurse's face.

"Then, be grateful that you have a few people who want to see you live." Lily smiled a little as she reached out and took the scrap tissues from Bella. She stood up and went to the kitchen, not acknowledging that Bella had stood up and followed after her. The teenager stood on the threshold to the kitchen, watching as Lily moved about in a mechanical fashion.

Silence passed between them as Lily started to make some hot chocolate. She turned around and pointed to one of the two chairs at the small table. Bella moved and sat down, her chocolate brown eyes studying Lily as the woman sat down in the chair to her right. She set the mug of hot coco in front of Bella and gently clasped her own. She looked rather snug in the fluffy white robe and her black curls were loose about her round face. "All right Bella..." She had a look of resignation on her face, as if she had been expecting this visit.

Bella gently sipped her coco and was surprised at how rich and creamy it was. She took another sip and sighed softly. "What is this pull I feel to you Lily?" She studied the simple beige mug in her hands, her slender thumb rubbing against the handle. "I feel there's something in me that recognizes you. I just don't know what..."

Lily tilted her head slightly, her black curls brushing gently against her brow. "You sense it?"

A telltale blush filled Bella's cheeks as she looked up to catch Lily's gaze. "I know I must sound crazy but I have no other way to explain it. It wasn't you alone either." She dropped her gaze and her blush grew deeper. "I felt it that first day with Edward Cullen, though it was something much more different."

"That wouldn't surprise me," said Lily, a gentle and sad smile touching her face. She took in a breath as they both sat there and drank their coco. She set her mug down and shifted slightly in her chair. "There are things in this world Bella, and beyond it, that are hardly seen by people. The majority of people tend to ignore what is strange and unusual. You, however, are not of that majority and neither is Edward or myself." She paused at this as a gentle frown touched her face, she looked as if she were trying to find the right words.

Bella finished her coco and set the mug aside. "They are different. I'm surprised at how no one ain town thinks anything more of their pale skin, their golden eyes, their beauty..." She blinked in surprise and looked at Lily. "They suffer from something don't they? Something that sets them apart from the rest of us."

Lily smiled at this but said nothing in response as she gathered the empty mugs and got up to set them in the sink. Bella continued to think of the strangeness of the Cullen's similarities despite them not being blood related. The chair beside her scraped against the linoleum as Lily sat back down and placed her chin in her hand, watching Bella. The teenager's eyes met hers and they flicked between the earthy orbs.

"You and your brother are different as well. I'm not sure how but there's something about the two of you. Some kind of energy that hovers around you. You had been injured earlier and now... well you look as if you hadn't even been in an accident." Her eyes grew wide at this and she blushed again. "I'm sorry, I must sound so silly. Seeing those dark shapes after the accident, Edward being right beside me when he had been across the lot... I feel like I've been seeing and sensing all kinds of things that aren't there."

"How do you know they aren't?"

They studied one another and Bella sighed gently. "You won't tell me, will you?"

Lily smiled again and laughed, a gentle sound that Bella liked a lot. "You're a smart young woman Bella. Trust your instincts to guide you to the answers. I'll be here when you find them."

Bella knew she wouldn't be getting any more out of the school nurse this late night but she felt as if she were on the right course. Lily did not deny what Bella had seen or sensed, though she was not forthcoming either. She had been more open towards Bella's questions than Edward had been. She had welcomed Bella to explore the strangeness that she had been witness to. Curiosity bubbled up within her as Bella got to her feet and fished her keys from the pocket of her coat.

Lily walked her to the door and Bella turned to her with a smile. Sure, she was still frustrated over the mystery of the two people she felt this strong pull to but she had a feeling that Lily's mystery would be the one she would have to unravel first. "I'll come by to visit tomorrow after school." Bella knew the school nurse would be staying home to recuperate from her ordeal though Lily looked perfectly healthy.

"I'll be here." Lily smiled a little more as she opened the door and Bella walked out to the porch. She caught sight of a tall silhouette walking from the garage to the log cabin. The light from the porch shown on frazzled black hair and a lean caramel face before Liam skipped up the steps. He stopped beside Bella and gave her a fierce grin, the white teeth set out against the darkness.

"Well, well, if it isn't Little Flower. Have a nice chat with Red?"

"Little Flower?" Bella held back against the shudder of fear that threatened to course through her and she simply stared at the man. Yes, there was something more off with Lily's brother than Lily herself. At least Lily had some semblance of humanity. Her brother though...

"Didn't anyone tell you that you smell like flowers?" A brief flash of yellow distracted her from the strange question and she glanced up at Liam, wondering what she had just seen. No, his eyes were the same earthy brown as Lily's... weren't they? She looked at Lily then, the question in her chocolate orbs. Again, Lily simply smiled at the teenager before placing a hand over her heart.

"Let your senses guide you and you'll find what you seek."

Bella relaxed at this, knowing that despite how scary Liam was, his sister wouldn't allow him to do anything in a harmful manner. She smiled at this before turning and making her way back to the old Chevy. She definitely felt better than she had before, as if some of the weight had been eased slightly. Yes, she would definitely had to keep her eyes peeled on all that went on around her from now on...

…

The month since the accident passed and the rains had come to wash away the last of the ice and snow that had fallen. Bella had found the first week since the accident to be slightly tense and embarrassing. Though she had not been the one to be hurt in the accident, she had an up close and personal view of what had happened. She had found herself to be the focus of many questions from the students around her. Apparently, they thought her to be an easier source for gossip than the school nurse, who many would not notice sitting in the cafeteria with the rest of them.

Lily had taken a couple of days off from work but by Wednesday she was back with nothing more than a simple gauze wrapped around her curls. Bella knew it was all for show, Lily was perfectly healthy. How that was, she didn't know and Lily would not tell her outright. Maybe that was why Bella would find her eyes drawn to her new friend, wondering how it was that she managed to keep people from noticing her. It must have been the same trick that Edward used as well, since many people seemed to not have noticed that Edward had been nowhere near her at the time of the accident.

She had tried to speak with him the next day after the accident, greeting him with a smile. He had turned his head a fraction and, without looking at her, nodded once before turning his attention back to the front of the class. That was the last time she tried to speak with him. If he was going to go out of his way to pretend hat she didn't exist than she would try the same. Key word being _try_.

While Edward continued to ignore Bella, she continued to watch him from a distance across the cafeteria or the parking lot. He continued to be a mystery and was becoming infuriating to her. Why did he deny what she had seen? He was not normal, she knew it to be true. Lily had acknowledged as much, though she did not say it verbally. The few times Bella had gone over to her home to visit, to talk with someone who would listen to her concerns, Lily's earthy brown eyes would focus on her the moment she spoke of the Cullen's strangeness. She listened and did not deny any of Bella's suspicions. Bella was becoming familiar with Lily's mannerisms by now and she knew that the lack of response to anything she said meant that she was on the right track.

It was such a good thing that Charlie rather liked the school nurse. The late nights that Bella spent at Lily's would have gotten her grounded otherwise. Thankfully, Charlie was quite all right with Bella seeing her new friend. He seemed to sense that Bella needed a responsible older sister, maybe even mother, figure in her life. Something that Renee, bless her heart, had never quite lived up to.

The weeks that passed were both stressing and annoying thanks to her strange dreams (which had began since the accident) and her strong pull toward Edward Cullen. Bella had a feeling that if Lily had not been there to listen to her woes, she would have fallen into bouts of depression. Renee even seemed to notice in Bella's emails that she seemed a great deal better than when she had left. She was glad that her daughter had such a good friend to speak to, Bella agreed. Especially since there was an event looming the third week into March, an event that one of her friends, Jessica, had reminded her of. The girl's choice spring dance. She had called to ask for her permission to ask Mike Newton to the dance. Bella urged her that she had no intention of asking Mike and that Jessica was more than welcome to.

The moment she hung up the phone, Bella picked it up again and dialed Lily's home number. The line rang a few times before a slightly husky voice answered on the other end, the unmistakable sound of a southern Mississippi accent gracing its words. Unconsciously, a relieved smile appeared on Bella's lips. Lily was always there when she needed her.

"Lily, I need your help."

"What's going on, Bella?" Lily sounded slightly concerned. It was another reason Bella liked Lily so much, she never sounded distracted. Her focus was always on the person who always addressed her, as if they were the most important thing in the world.

"There's a dance in two weeks. A girl's choice dance." She paused and sighed heavily at this. Silence greeted this statement and Bella knew that Lily knew exactly why she was calling. Her clumsiness was legendary after all.

"Well, I needed to get a few things for the guest cabin, my brother hasn't had much time to go shopping for furniture himself." Bella knew that Liam lived in the guest cabin that rested behind the main log cabin. He didn't seem the type to worry about even meager comforts. However, Lily was giving her an excuse that would work for her. "I've been meaning to head out to Seattle and I need another woman's opinion. Liam can be so clueless."

Bella's smile grew at this and she thanked her lucky stars that (and she felt slightly bad at this,) Lily threw herself into harm's way that snowy day. She would have never gotten to know the school nurse, her new friend, otherwise. "That's sounds great! We can go that Saturday, make a whole day out of it. I needed some new books anyway." She suddenly found herself excited about the trip. Lily had a brand new black, pick up that looked sleek and heavy duty. The poor little white Nissan was nothing more than scrap metal after the accident. Bella discovered that she had a thing for trucks and hoped she could convince her friend to let her drive it.

Lily laughed at the obvious relief and excitement Bella gave off. "Well then, it's all set. I'll see you tomorrow Bella."

"Sure, thanks Lily," she said before giving a friendly goodbye and hanging up the phone.


	10. Chapter 10

(A/n) _This fic seems to become focused on friendship rather than any immediate romance. Carlisle/OC is still the focus, as well as Bella/Alice, but I feel that will take quite some time._

* * *

An entire month...

An entire month before Alice had decided to act. After the accident, the family had gotten together for a meeting to decide what to do. It was clear that Bella had questioned what she had seen regarding Edward's sudden appearance at her side at the time of the accident. Of course, when Edward had revealed it had been after the mental scream that the school nurse had directed his way to save the girl that he even moved. What had always been quiet, muffled thoughts had suddenly turned into a barrage of images. In that split second, whatever Lilith had done to keep her true thoughts masked had fallen away. He had seen, for that moment in time, exactly who Lilith Holloway was.

The woman knew exactly what he and his family were and he knew that this woman was, herself, not truly human. From what he could gather from those images, she was a part of something that went beyond the world of vampires. Something mystical and ancient...

Magic was not something Edward would have easily believed in but considering what he was he really shouldn't be surprised. There was a darkness that tainted her thoughts, something that lurked beneath the human visage. She was not all good. She was here for some reason, some purpose... He didn't catch what it was but he had sensed it in her screaming thoughts to protect Bella. However, she had so readily thrown herself into danger for the sake of a girl she barely knew. She cared for Bella, that had to count for something.

Edward had went over what he had heard from the human woman with his family and he was rather grateful that he was not fully to blame for what had happened. It was clear that Lilith knew what they were and yet she had not said a word to anyone, not even them. Whether she had spoken with Bella was another story. That girl was very observant, that much Edward had gathered from their confrontation in that hallway. She wouldn't easily forget what she had seen and it a very likely that she would go to Lilith for the answers. She was easily the most approachable since she was the one who had saved Bella's life. Edward couldn't help but feel a strong sense of envy in regards to that...

The family argued back and forth as to what the best course of action would be. Would they stay and wait it out? Rosalie was against moving, she liked it here in Forks, they were almost normal here. Jasper was for getting rid of the girl and the woman. Accidents happened everyday, no one would truly miss them...

"NO!" The family jumped at the protest that came from Edward and Alice. Edward wasn't surprising, he was prone to such outbursts when things did not go according to his wishes. Alice was the surprising one, she had risen from her chair and was frowning over at her mate, her golden eyes sparking with sudden anger. The family had never seen her look this way to her own husband. Never in all of these years. She took in an unneeded breath as she stared at her husband, her anger fading as quickly as it came. "Jasper, you can't... I'm going to love Bella someday. We're going to be friends, sisters..." Her eyes took on an unfocused look, a vision becoming more clearer with Jasper's resolve weakening at the pleading look on her face. "She would have killed you if killed Bella... I don't want to lose my best friend, my husband and the woman who I feel is a sister to me. I don't want to lose my family. I can't. Not when there's another way."

"Kill me?" Jasper stared at his wife, wondering who it was that would manage to kill him. He was a strong vampire, a soldier. He had taken out armies of newborns in his early life and someone would kill him?

"Lilith," said Edward in answer, having seen the vision in Alice's head when Jasper had been firm in his decision. There was power within this woman. If Jasper killed Bella, she would have enacted revenge against the former Major. There would be no competition of speed or strength. The moment Jasper would have moved to defend himself, he would have burned. A flash of blood red flames, purple smoke and all that would have been left would be ashes on the front lawn of their home. The family would have reacted... Rosalie, Emmett... they would burn as Jasper had. This human woman was walking death for vampires. That future was grim one, their family would have been destroyed. Anger welled up in Edward, the mere fact that a simple human would decimate his family. "She would have killed nearly all of us out of revenge for killing the girl."

"She's just a human!" Rosalie cried, slapping her palm against the wood surface of the long dining room table. "There is no way she could kill us!"

"She would Rose," said Edward, his anger fading as he thought of Bella. He could not blame the woman for acting in such a way. He would have himself for the loss of such a fragile life... He hated to admit that there was something, aside from the quiet mind and her blood, that he found attractive about the girl. There was just something about her that called to him, something within her very soul. "That nurse is not a regular human," he continued, ignoring those thoughts of Bella for now. "I saw her true thoughts for that split second. She has seen things and done things that I had never believed possible..."

Throughout the discussion, Carlisle had not said a word, he simply listened to his family with a thoughtful look in his face. Finally, he stood up and carefully placed his fingertips on the table. He stared at each member of his family before he let loose a gentle sigh. "Violence will not be the answer. I believe Alice and Edward in regards to this. It would be a smarter course of action to remain on this woman's calm side. I have seen for myself the physical abnormalities of her. I have also sensed the power this woman possesses." He paused at this, the memories of his lack of control around her never leaving his mind. Her blood was not normal, that strange energy behind it that he sensed that broke through his control. Edward caught his thoughts but remained silent. Carlisle would reveal his lack of control to the others when he felt it was time. Carlisle glanced at his son and sent a grateful thought his way. He focused on his family as he continued. "If she is protecting this girl then it would be for good reason. If she knows what we are then so be it, she has not acted on her knowledge and she is quite keen on keeping a low profile as us. I'm sure it is due to her own lack of normal human traits..."

"It's not simply because of Lil," said Alice, her eyes focusing on Edward. "Bella is important to her but she will be important to us. I see a change coming to this family and it will be for the better..."

"Alice, no..." Edward stared at his sister, his golden eyes growing wide. He had seen the vision after the decision to let Bella and Lilith live had been made. It was of Alice, her arm was wrapped around the girl's fragile shoulders and the girl had her own wrapped around Alice's waist. On the girl's other side, a shadowy form was all that could be seen but Edward knew this shadowy form was always of Lilith. A blurry hand was holding onto the girl's while another was reaching up to take hold of Alice's hand, resting on Bella's shoulder. The faces that could be seen were smiling. They looked so happy...Then the image changed. It was only slightly but it was enough. The picture was still the same, all three women embracing but it was Bella, she was as pale as Alice. Her arms were as hard as steel. Her face forever immortal in its beauty...

"Alice, this can't happen." Edward continued to stare at his sister, his golden eyes pleading.

"It will happen one way or another," said Alice in reply. "Her future is tied with Lilith's now and her path is set. She will become one of us whether you wish to remain in her life or not. Lilith is connected to this family. No matter what decision we make she will always be there and Bella will always be there with her." She paused for a moment, allowing these words to sink in before her amber eyes took on a sad look. "Think about leaving her..."

Edward didn't day anything in response but the frown on his face was clear. He could see that when he thought about leaving her, as painful as it was, her future remained as it was. Her pale arms wrapped around the shadowy form of Lilith and the pale form of Alice... The future of three women was set in stone no matter what decision was made by anyone else. They were tied together in a way that would never be torn asunder. He sighed heavily, his resolve growing deep. He did not want her to lose her soul... he didn't want her to be damned like he was... She would hate him. He couldn't bear the thought...

At that moment, another image entered his mind. He was standing in a meadow, glittering in the sunlight. Someone was with him, it was hard to determine who since the decision was not set. He looked at Alice in surprise and he saw the gentle smile on her face. "You can't be that blind, Edward."

"Will somebody _please _let the rest of us in on the mystery?" complained Emmett, his large form hulking in his seat beside Rosalie.

"I can't love her Alice. I can't allow her to live this life." Edward straightened, his shoulders and back stiff. "I'll leave. I _will _change the future."

"There is no change except how you will be in her life." Alice frowned at her brother, it wasn't right seeing a frown on her face. "I told you that her path is set. The moment Lil saved her life she was destined to be a part of our world. She will become one of us no matter what we do and Lil will be there with her." She looked hurt at this and a flash of what could be jealousy could be seen in her eyes. It passed but from Jasper's frown he had sensed it and he was watching his wife carefully. "I need them in my life. Both of them. Please don't shun her."

"Oh come _on," _bellowed Emmett, his own frustrated frown joining the rest of theirs'.

"Pay attention," Rose hissed, slapping him upside the head, much to Emmett's protest. "Alice sees him falling for a _human_!"

"What? That's it?" Emmett's booming laugh filled the dining room, breaking the silence and the tension. "Tough break!"

"Fall for her?" Esme had spoken this time, her golden eyes growing wide with excitement while her stunned voice reached his ears. "You mean the girl that was saved today? He will fall in _love _with her?"

"Well, this complicates things..." Carlisle had sat back in his chair, rubbing his forehead. So much for his family's peace... Despite his misgivings, he knew not to go against Alice's visions when the vision was clear and firm. He had heard it in her voice, the longing to know Lilith and Bella. If having the two of them involved in their eternal lives meant that Alice would be happy... If she saw his family as better off because of it. He dropped his hand and looked at his daughter, giving a slight nod. Alice saw this and her smile was a bright one. It made Carlisle feel slightly better about his decision...

It was decided that they would simply watch the woman and the girl, much to Rosalie's protests and Edward's disapproval. The rest of the family sided with Carlisle's decision to let things to go their course. The girl was meant to be one of them no matter what anyone decided there was no sense in denying some chance of his family being happier. Edward had left at this, his mood had darkened considerably since the decision, no doubt to brood. The rest of the family had separated while Carlisle remained in his seat at the head of the table.

He did not react when Alice had stopped next to him and placed a tiny hand on his shoulder. "Don't turn away from that pull you feel. Allow her to be part of this family. I see it clearer each day Carlisle. I see _all _of us so happy..." She gave his shoulder a squeeze when he did not respond and she turned to flit away.

…

Since that meeting, Alice had been been keeping a close eye on the visions she had of Bella and Lil. Lil was always a shadowy form but she remained by Bella's side. She could sense the woman was happy because Bella and Alice were happy. This was meant to happen but the question was when it would happen. An entire month and so far Edward had kept to his promise of staying away from the girl. Each day passed and Alice saw the vision in her head of the three of them, her, Bella and Lil, growing fainter. It was soon becoming prominent that it was Lilith and Bella in this future, their arms in a sisterly embrace.

_No! _Alice glared at her brother as they sat at their regular table in the cafeteria, sending her vision of a vampire Bella and a shadowy Lilith with their arms around one another. Bella was smiling but she didn't look as happy as when Alice was in the picture. _Don't fight this Edward! You know you want to be there with her! _Her eyes darted to where Lil sat at the staff table, lightly picking at a salad as she worked on her third bottle of water. Lil hadn't spoken with any of them but she knew that Bella came to see the nurse several times since the accident. They were becoming close so soon... Alice wanted to be a part of that. It was only her love for her brother that kept her from pursuing the friendship so soon but now...

Edward ignored her and he continued to frown at the far wall though his entire focus was on the girl who was being talked to by Mike Newton. Alice's frown grew and her resolve grew. She would introduce herself to Bella and she would get to know the woman who reminded her of her human self. She would not be denied the chance of such a strong friendship. Jasper had sensed her sudden anger giving way to determination and he looked at his wife in question. He could see the smile on her face as her unfocused eyes saw a vision. Her little words had thrown a chink in Edward's resolve to stay away... Now it was the sight of Mike requesting that Bella ask him to the dance that set off the jealousy.

The vision had solidified into something definite. All three of them embracing, though only Alice and Bella could be seen. The bright and happy smiles on their faces spoke measures...

...

The day after Bella's phone call for help against the against the torture (at least in her eyes) that was to be the spring dance, Lil remained ever aloof of those who surrounded her. As Dip and Silvan had stated, stay forgettable. However, she kept her earthy eyes focused on Bella, (who had become her first human friend) and Alice, (who would always remain her best friend and sister by memory.) The entire school day passed with little incident for Lilith. In fact, this entire month in the human realm was the first time she had ever been at peace in her hundred plus years of existence.

At the end of the day, she was making her way out of the door of the front office in time with the last bell. She was surprised to find a small pixie making her way of the path lined with dark hedges. The pale young woman paused at the sight of Lily before a bright smile touched her small features. "Hello Lil."

Lily paused at this, her slow beating heart clenching at the nickname. Alice had been the first to call her Lil and had always called her as such. Bella would sometimes but her favorite nickname was always Lily for her. Despite what nicknames she was known by, her first and only friend had always called her Lil and to hear it from her lips, when she had no memory of her. It was bittersweet.

"Hello Alice," said Lil, a strained smile appearing on her caramel toned face. "Were you feeling unwell? I was just leaving but I can take a look at you if you like."

The smile did not dim but only grew as the pixie shook her head and took a step closer to her. "I'm fine and I'm glad to see you're much better since the accident."

Lil studied the pixie, wondering what she had seen in her visions to have made her so forward all of a sudden. It had to be something good if her smile was so large. It was nice to see that smile on her face rather than the haunted look from her human years. Lil couldn't help but smile in return as she continued down the path toward the parking lot. She heard the light footsteps beside her and her smile grew a little. "I'm fine, have been for awhile. I'm quite sturdy so don't worry about me."

"I can't help it," said Alice in reply and she automatically closed her mouth, her golden eyes growing wide. When the nurse didn't say anything of it, only allowed her smile to grow more, Alice could feel her relief grow immensely. They walked in silence for a bit before Lil paused and a slight chuckle escaped.

"Is that your brother in the Volvo?" she asked, her earthy eyes watching the the silver car that remained in the way of the old rusted Chevy that belonged to Bella. Alice looked, catching sight of her family walking slowly to allow time for Edward to do... whatever he was doing. Judging by the laughter she could hear coming from Edward, it was at Bella's expense. She had to suffer through several boys asking her to take them to the dance. If she didn't have her excuse for going out of town that weekend, Alice was sure she would have been more frustrated than she was now.

"It is," said Alice, trying not to laugh. "He's waiting for us so I guess I should be going." She looked at the nurse and started to bounce on the balls of her ballet flats. "We should get together sometime! I know of some great places we can do some shopping. I always find shopping to make me feel better."

Lil stared at her sweet Alice, the warmth in that grew in her heart at the eagerness in those golden eyes touching her strongly. Even with no memories of her, Alice still wished to be her friend. She smiled as she turned and started to walk to Bella's truck. Alice followed behind her, an expectant smile on her face. "I don't see why not. Bella is going with me to Seattle for some furniture shopping. You can come along if you like," she said, passing the rest of the Cullens, who were making their way slowly to the Volvo.

Alice's smile was so bright, and her happiness so strong, that her mate could sense it. He looked at his wife and then at the unassuming school nurse. His own smile appeared, seeing the simple joy that the woman brought to his wife. His smile then turned to a chuckle as the nurse tapped the shoulder of the boy Tyler, who had been standing at Bella's passenger side door and speaking with her through the window. He turned his head, a frown on his face as he was about to tell off the person who interrupted him from his attempts at scoring. His frown immediately disappeared at the sight of the school nurse standing behind him. Bella looked relieved.

"Hey Lily," said Bella, the smile automatically coming to her face at the sight of her friend.

"Mr. Crowley, I suggest you get back to your vehicle before you cause another accident with your recklessness," said Lily, the frown that was now on her face was one of disapproval. "I would rather not have to deal with another visit to the hospital."

"Er- Y-yes ma'am," he said, quickly glancing at Bella before turning and rushing back to his car. It was no secret that the boy feared this woman's anger after nearly killing her. He was often seen trying to avoid the nurse whenever she was in the hall or the cafeteria since the accident.

Lil frowned at the boy a moment longer before she tapped in the glass of the partially opened window, indicating to Bella to unlock the door. She reached over to pull up the lock to the passenger side door and the nurse opened it. "Do you mind extra company for our trip to Seattle?"

Bella blinked at Lilith before glancing back to find the very bouncy form of Alice Cullen standing behind the nurse. She smiled brightly at Bella, catching the scent of lavenders and freesias emanating from the cab of the truck. Edward wasn't kidding, she did smell good really good. "Hi Bella, I'm Alice. You have Biology with my brother Edward I believe."

Bella studied the pixie-like girl with the pale skin and golden eyes, a stunned look on her face before she blinked and regained herself. Her smile was welcoming though at the mention of Edward, the anger in her eyes could not be mistaken. She was pissed at Edward for some reason. "Yeah, that's right. Nice to meet you Alice." She looked at the school nurse then and nodded her head to the pixie. "If she wants to come and you're ok with it, I don't have a problem. We're taking your truck anyway." Her smile had returned full force at this, obviously the fact that they would be taking the nurse's new black truck pleased Bella. Bella liked trucks? Alice would have to note that for later. She would need a new one soon.

"All right then," said Lilith, who glanced back at the pixie with an open smile on her full lips. "So we have it planned for the Saturday of the dance. You wouldn't mind missing it would you?"

"Of course not!" Alice was simply giddy with happiness and she clapped her hands. "We'll have so much fun!" She bounced forward and threw her arms around Lilith's neck, giving her a human safe hug. Lilith was slightly stunned but the smile on her face was a sweet one. Alice pulled away quickly, her eyes studying the caramel face that was devoid of any scar or blind eye. "I'll see you at school tomorrow. Bye Bella!" She waved to the girl in the truck before bouncing her way to the Volvo. She hopped inside with her family before it sped away.

Lil stared after the Volvo before she shook her head and laughed softly. She ignored the line of cars that were behind Bella as she climbed into the passenger's side, closing the door behind her. Bella looked questioningly at her friend as the nurse set her briefcase on her lap. "I need a break away from home and you're the only close friend I have that knows how to cook well."

Bella laughed at this and shifted the truck into gear, the engine roaring loudly as she drove off. Charlie would be happy for the company, he liked Lily. She always managed to bring out the more talkative side of Bella's usually quiet nature when they spoke on the phone. Having her over for dinner would be interesting.


	11. Chapter 11

_(A/n) I don't know when Sam, Jared and Paul had phased into wolves exactly, Meyer never stated in her books. I only caught from fan sites that is was before the first book. So,if not, oh well. I threw a bunch of OC's in here so it's not exactly canon. :)_

* * *

Lil raised a hand in goodbye as the old red Chevy turned around on the gravel drive and continued on down the long and winding driveway. The tail lights disappeared around the corner as Bella made her way back to the main road to head home. It was night and the darkness was thick in those woods. She was glad she didn't sense anything aside from the usual drifting, harmless spirits that called the forests their home.

She waited a few moments before she looked to her side, finding the very tall form of her mentor. Silvan was looking as he always did, apathetic. His pale face a shocking contrast to his midnight hair and his long black trench coat blended seamlessly with the shadows about his feet. He kept his black eyes on the long driveway, taking in a breath as he tasted the air and let it loose slowly. "She trusts you." He glanced at her and gave a slight nod. "She is not quite ready to learn the truth of herself but it will happen soon. You will need to be there to show her the way."

Lilith took in a deep breath and carefully set her briefcase and purse on the steps of the front porch. She slowly slipped out of her low heeled shoes and stood barefoot on the crunchy gravel. The little stones pricked every part of her feet and she closed her eyes, allowing the sensation to drown out the overwhelming feeling of weariness that gripped her. She took in a breath and then two before opening her eyes and staring out at the forest. "Of course. That is why I was chosen. That is why you had trained me. For her." She closed her eyes again and hung her head. "Well, at least Alice is happy... It made everything worth it."

Silvan studied his the woman who he saw as his daughter, saw the brief pain that played across her face. Silvan knew she was well aware of her task but living in the mortal realm had brought out more of her emotions. It was in her nature to become attached, she was not meant to be a solitary creature. Her very nature had brought out a caring side to the members of the Guard she was not aware of. So when the Lilith felt an ice cold hand gently brush against her cheek, a soft escaped her parted lips. Her glamour fell away at once and her startled eyes, one milky white from blindness, focused on the ancient vampire beside her. "You were chosen because of the choice you had made for your friend. You sensed the lower plains of the Realm for all of your childhood and saw things that would have made a grown man curl up in fear. Your magic is strong. Your heart is strong. We've taught you all that is but there are some things that cannot be taught." He moved his hand and placed it carefully over her breast, against her slow beating heart. "Love and life. That is something none in the Guard can teach her."

Lilith closed her eyes as her body gently shivered against Silvan's icy hand. "I understand that... A part of me just wishes things were simple." She sighed softly as his hand fell away and she studied him in against the darkness. Yes, they all wished things were simple but the truth of their existence was anything but...

A huffing sound caught their attention and they looked to see the huge, dark shape of Dip, in his true hellhound form, making his way from the trees toward them. He stopped several feet from Lilith, his blazing eyes studying her as embers dripped from his fangs. "The girl made it into town. She'll be home soon but I sensed something odd coming from the direction of the reservation." He glanced back at the trees, his burning yellow eyes blazing with his internal fire. "It smells familiar but it's human?" His gravely voice held a hint of confusion and then it turned into a deep growl as his ears went flat against his head.

The growl was joined by a low hum, the sight of Lilith now bearing her staff made from the branch of a very old yew tree. At the very top of it, a blood red poppy flower stood out starkly against the darkness. It was this staff that aided Lilith in her transition from the higher plains, the lower plains, and the borders of the Realm. With her human body still alive in its basic form, the staff aided in making the journey through the land of the dead less difficult and her magic much easier for her to control. The symbol of death and rebirth while the poppy flower was that of sleep, a brief glimpse of life. It was the perfect tool for one such as the Red Mother.

At the moment, she had just sensed that something had crashed against the barrier that surrounded her land, something supernatural. It was pacing back and forth, occasionally crashing into the barrier again in an attempt to cross. It was causing a sharp pain against the base of skull with each attempt and she was not happy. Ignoring her comrades, she took off without a sound, slipping into the shadows that surrounded her like an old friend. She could hear the thumping of Dip's paws behind her and she could sense that Silvan was traveling within the shadows with her. They followed her lead, knowing she had the pinpoint location of the creature that was trying to break through.

It didn't take long to reach the barrier and she could see that a silver wolf, one larger than what a normal wolf should be, was repeatedly crashing against the force field. With each crash, a crackle of red energy gave off from the contact point before sizzling down, the smell of singed fur permeating the air. It was growling, revealing a sharp row of teeth as it backed up and crashed into the force field again. It was this time that the large wolf was met, not with a barrier, but with a crushing darkness that wrapped around its trembling form. It let out a yelp as the shadows snaked about its legs and torso before slamming it down to the wet undergrowth. It struggled for a time, its anger quite clear but the shadows merely tightened around it.

"I wouldn't do that, you're just going to piss her off," Dip had emerged from the shadows of the trees, now in his clothed human form, though his eyes were still blazing yellow. He was looking at the silver wolf as he passed the barrier with ease. His bare feet hissed as it came in contact with the wet, dead leaves that littered the ground, the glowing smile on his caramel face was feral. The wolf was eying Dip, his growling never ceasing and his trembling form struggled against the shadows that bound him.

Dip walked around the wolf, studying its form, before he lowered himself down on the balls of his feet to look the creature in the eye. He sniffed once and a look of surprise touched his face. "I can't believe it," he said before a throaty chuckle could be heard.

"What is he?" Lilith had emerged from the shadows then and passed the barrier, her symbols flaring with blood red light in recognition. She moved to stop beside the hellhound and lowered herself in the same position as Dip, sniffing the scent of the creature. Her dark brows went up in surprise and she glanced at Dip. "I smell human but there's some hound magic within him."

"There are two more of them," said Dip, lowering his face close to the silver wolf's. It let out a fierce growl and attempted to snap at him. The hellhound didn't react as he concentrated on the scents of its pack members. He looked up and around, studying the dark forest. "Their territory is here... Your barrier actually overlaps with their line for several acres." He looked back at the silver wolf and smirked. "He's not happy. He can't run his patrol on his Alpha's order since he can't cross." At this, the growling ceased and the wolf was now looking between Dip and Lilith, surprise now apparent in its eyes.

"Is that why he kept crashing against it?" She frowned down at the wolf and hummed, the shadows tightening just a bit. It whined in pain and growled at Lilith in turn. "Growl all you want pup, thanks to you I'll have a headache for the rest of the night. Deal with it." She glanced at Dip beside her, her frown now aimed his way. "Tell me Dip, why are there shapeshifters running around here? I thought vampires and spirits were enough..."

Dip chuckled at this as he cocked his head, looking as if he were listening for something. His blazing eyes focused on her and his smile grew smug. "We're lustful creatures Red. The sight of innocent, young females tend to draw us in like nothing else..."

"Don't tell me," she said, her gaze focusing on the silver wolf. "He's one of your pups?"

"Hell's fire, no!" Dip replied, his smile now fully gone. "I'm not that reckless!" He pointed a thumb at the silver wolf. "This is the product of one of the locals from ages back. I recognized the scent. That particular hound would bed anything that was female, be it wolf or human. His pack wasn't a part of the Guard but they helped to keep the number of creatures that crossed the borders to a minimum." A thoughtful look cross his rugged features and he glanced down at the wolf. "This pup kinda has his coloring actually. I guess he decided to stay with a human..."

He shook his head and straightened out of his position, his grin returning full force as he looked at Lilith. "He's all yours Red. Don't be too hard on him, he's got a bit of a temper. Comes with the blood." He took a step back and folded his arms. "His packmates are coming by the way, they share a mental link with one another and I could catch a few thoughts bouncing between them. They don't take kindly to vampires but you should be fine since you still have a heartbeat." Lilith knew this was said for Silvan's behalf, he had yet to emerge from the shadows but had been listening the entire time.

Lilith straightened as well, gripping her staff in preparation while the silver wolf continued to growl since he could do little else. She could sense them coming now, the heated magic that coursed through their veins. It was similar to Dip's but in a much more diluted form, more human than hellhound. One was coming from the west and the other was rounding from the border of the reservation. She didn't have long to wait, they emerged from the thick of the trees on either side of her. One was nearly as black as Dip. Though not as large, he was still the size of a horse. The other was a medium brown in shade and roughly the same size as the silver one. They were both quiet as they took in the scene of their packmate bound by shadows before their gaze focused on the lone woman still dressed in her beige slacks and white blouse from work.

They wouldn't have thought much of her if it weren't for the fact that there were shadows dancing about her feet. The jagged scar across her left eye brought attention to the milky orb and they could smell the scent of earth and pine saturated with ancient magic. She was human and then she was not. They growled at her, unsure of what to make of her.

"Calm yourself," said Lilith, her gaze focused on the black wolf. She sensed authority in him, the designated Alpha of this pack. "I will release your brother but I must speak with you first. As one human to another."

The black wolf ceased in his growling before he looked at his packmate, who had been inching closer to the silver wolf. He paused in his movements the moment all eyes focused on him and he looked at his Alpha. Whatever was said between their mental link, the medium brown wolf remained where he was, though hesitantly. The Alpha had backed away into the shadows of the trees and a moment later reemerged as his human self. His russet skin tone was common for the people of these parts, his short black hair barely touched his brow. He was nearly as tall as Dip and his body was physically fit, thanks to the magic that coursed through his blood. He wore a pair of cut off shorts and he stopped at the side of the silver wolf. ""How do you know what we are? What are you? You say one human to another but you are no mere human..." His voice was very deep but he was young, no more than in his early twenties at best.

Lilith smiled at this, surprised to see that the Alpha was nothing more than a pup himself. She lifted her staff in her left hand and made a sweeping gesture with it. At once, the shadows fell away from the silver wolf and moved to join the others that danced about her bare feet, softly touching her cool skin with affection. The silver wolf immediately rose up and surged forward, aiming to attack Lilith in his temper. Before the Alpha could respond, Lilith ducked to her left side, her right hand shooting out to grab the wolf by his throat. A pulse of red energy emerged from her hand and the silver wolf trembled once before abruptly phasing back to his human form. He gasped at the tight hold on his throat before he was released, falling down to his knees in his naked skin.

"Control your packmate or he will receive something worse than singed fur." Lilith stared at the Alpha, a low hum in her throat beginning to sound. The shadows immediately grew still, waiting for a command. Dip chuckled at this, feeling a strange sense of pride at the sight of her. He and Silvan had trained her well though he wouldn't have admitted as such to her. He wouldn't dare voice his brotherly affection to the human female but he wasn't aware that his actions always spoke louder than his words. He had moved to stand beside Lilith, his blazing yellow eyes studying the human form of the silver wolf. The hot tempered youth was getting to his feet now and stumbled away from them, his temper having cooled down considerably since being forced to phase to his human self.

The brown wolf had moved to his packmate's side, his eyes studying the woman with awe and slight fear. The Alpha frowned at his brother before looking at Lilith with something close to an apology in his eyes. He could sense that she indeed was human, she had a beating heart, although slow, and the blood that coursed through her veins bore a scent that was nothing he had ever smelled before. "You have to understand. This is our land and to find... a being such as yourself on our land is a bit surprising. We know not if you are an enemy and we would rather take no chances."

Lilith's frown grew as she studied the young male. "So you attack first and ask questions later? From my understanding, I own the land beyond that barrier line. It was your packmate who could not understand that he was not welcome."

The Alpha's bore a look of surprise as he watched Lilith. "Your land? What land do you speak of?"

Lilith sighed and turned to point at the barrier line she had created her first night here in Forks. "The Haverton cabins that rest in the middle of nearly ten acres of land. I bought the land from an old couple who have been trying to sell it for years now. I have a good understanding of where my land begins and where it ends."

"You're the one who bought the land?" The Alpha looked surprised at this. "But how can that be? It was a brother and sister, normal humans, who purchased the land..."

"That would be us," said Dip as a feral smile touched his rugged face. "A bit of a shock I'm sure but not everyone is as they seem. I'm sure you can grasp that simple fact." The Alpha caught sight of Dip then and a growl emerged from his throat before he could stop it. Dip laughed at this as he folded his arms across his chest. "Oh yes, I would be quite a threat to your position of power, pup. Believe me when I say I have no interest of leading your little pack."

The Alpha grew silent at this, his look thoughtful before he turned his gaze back to Lilith. "He is not human."

"I never said he was," said Lilith, a light smile dancing across her full lips. "He is sort of a cousin to your ancestors, goodness knows he's old enough." The growl she got in response caused her to giggle and she lightly nudged her brother for all intents and purposes. "He is all wolf despite his abilities to change forms." She caught the chuckle that escaped from Dip in acknowledgment before looking back at the Alpha. "My name is Lilith and his name is Liam, for the sake of your human ears."

"I am Sam," said the Alpha in turn, nodding slightly in greeting. "These are my packmates, Jared and Paul. Paul you've already met." Sam glanced at the one named Paul, who had taken the time to pull on some shorts that had been tied to his thigh. He frowned at his Alpha before turning to glare at Lilith. Sam looked at the female, noting the jagged scar that ran across her left eye. She was human but she was more... "Tell us, are you some kind of witch? We've never come across anything like that barrier you have around your lands. And those shadows..." His gaze focused on them, where they had been dancing about her feet the entire time.

"I suppose though I've never thought of myself as one," said Lilith, the laughter could be heard in her husky voice. Her southern Mississippi accent could be heard coming through now, she was becoming more relaxed as their conversation went on. "My talents tend to focus on things beyond this life."

"You're the Red Mother."

They all looked in surprise to the new human that joined their little group. It was the one known as Jared who spoke. He was focused on Lilith, his eyes studying her with keen interest. "One of the Elders can speak with the spirits of this land. She spoke of a spirit that wasn't dead, one who walked the borders between this world and the next. She would enact revenge for those who were wronged in the worst possible way... She knew the old cabin was home to a very angry spirit before you came. That land is peaceful now."

Lilith studied the young man named Jared, a look of surprise on her face. She gave a nod in response, her milky white eye focusing on the magic that coursed through his veins. "That is a name I am known by. I am surprised that your Elder would know of me..."

Jared took a step forward, casting a wary glance at Dip before focusing on Lilith. "You help to bring peace to those spirits who can't pass beyond this life. Revenge to those who had committed the worse of crimes imaginable, you make them feel the guilt and the shame... Sue speaks highly of you and the moment you came to Forks, the spirits of this land became restless." He was looking excited as well, as if the fact that he was speaking with a person who was a possible connection to his own ancestors...

Lilith took an immediate liking to Jared and her smile to him was open and honest. "I suppose after what had happened with Celia, they would speak of me..."

"That was the woman who had completed her suicide in your home?" Sam was intrigued, the fact that this woman was capable of speaking with those who had passed death's door. It made him wonder if she could reach anyone if asked...

"Yes, Celia had lived a very difficult life." She sighed and gave a nod. "She had decided it was time for her to return to her son. I helped her to find her way at her consent. Last I saw of her, she was blissfully happy with her son in their afterlife and I hope she is at peace."

"C'mon you guys! Are we just gonna stand here or are we gonna do something?" Paul had spoken, his temper, though cooled, did not completely fade. He was glaring at Lilith with intense dislike though she didn't pay much attention to him. Her eyes were focused on Sam at the moment, as Alpha of the pack.

Sam glanced at his brother before looking at Lilith and releasing a soft sigh. "We must know what your intentions are. You are in our world but we don't know why, what brought you here?"

A low growl had emerged from Dip but he was silenced with a slight look from Lilith. She turned her gaze to Sam and nodded, it was the least she could do. This land had belonged to his people long before this country formed. "There is a child of an ancient bloodline who lives in Forks. She was placed in my charge. She is an untapped child of ancient magic and she needs guidance. I am here to make sure that she is trained well once she discovers her abilities."

"Who is this girl?" Sam asked but the deep frown on Lilith's face kept him from asking anything more. She thumped her staff down against the ground, the shadows scattered before converging about her feet once again. She stared straight into Sam's eyes. He returned her gaze, feeling no fear but a deep sense of respect.

"We can reach an agreement I'm sure." She nodded toward the line that separated her land from theirs, the barrier that kept the wolves from crossing. "This land is my own. I have no interest in whatever your business is patrolling your land. I ask that you simply respect the boundaries I have set."

The growl that emanated from Paul was cut short from one look from Sam and he looked at Lilith. "We do our patrols simply because of the leeches er- vampires- that dare to cross into our land. We cannot trust their kind, even if we have a treaty with a clan of them that live in Forks."

The Cullens were the only family of vampires she could think of and she kept her face blank, despite the protective emotion that tightened around her heart. "I am sure they can be trusted to keep to the treaty they made with your ancestors. Again, I have no interest in your affairs and I would request the same courtesy. As far as your pack, and any vampire is concerned, my land is off limits."

"The leeches have no way of crossing that barrier?"

"No," said Lilith. "Not unless I welcome them. The same goes for you and your pack. My home is a neutral party and will remain so."

The growl that emerged from Paul was again cut short from a direct order from Sam. The Alpha merely gave a nod in response to her statement. "Very well, we cannot ask one such as yourself to choose a side. To you, death is death." Lilith didn't respond to this as Sam continued. "We'll keep our patrol along your barrier but if any leech is found upon your land, you will be responsible."

The frown appeared on her face once again and the shadows stilled for a moment. "I understand but do not think you have any say over what goes on." She smiled then, her smile resembling the feral smile of Dip. "After all, everything comes to an end in this world. Where do you think they all cross once this life ends?"

Sam did not respond to that, he simply beckoned his brothers to him and they all turned, disappearing into the trees. The moment she sensed them return to the reservation she sighed heavily and glanced over at Dip. "That went well enough."

"I could care less. I'm missing my game." Dip reached out to ruffle Lilith's dark curls before turning and running back to the cabin. Lilith remained where she was, watching the darkness of the forest that surrounded her. The spirits that wandered this place could not cross her barrier but they liked to drift along it, the warmth of the magic bringing them a sense of peace. She felt Silvan beside her once again but she didn't look at him. She simply allowed her staff to fade back into the shadows and folded her arms beneath her breasts...

…

The following day brought with it a surprising amount of junior students who were suddenly looking pale and nauseous. Apparently, Mr. Banner, the Biology teacher, was having the students testing themselves for their blood type. At least those who obtained their parents' permission. Those that came to the nurse's office were quite green around the gills, so to speak.

It was after lunch that brought a familiar face and Lilith found herself bearing witness to Edward Cullen carrying a very pale and sickly looking Bella into the office. He made his way to the patients' room and set her down on one of the small cots. Lilith knew it had to have been the blood, she wasn't the first one today. However, Bella was a very special case. The moment Lilith appeared with a bottle of water in her left hand, Edward did not miss the flash of red light that erupted.

"She's just a little faint," said Edward, watching the nurse with a light frown on his face. Whatever it was she had done to the bottle, he didn't approve. "They're blood typing in Biology."

"I know," said Lilith in reply, not missing the suspicious tone in the boy's voice. "She's not the first one today."

When Bella immediately tried to sit up with a shaky but welcome smile it did not go past Edward. He tried to ignore the stabbing jealousy that pierced his undead heart as the nurse advised Bella to drink the water. She did so without hesitation, the trust in her brown eyes for the nurse was something that Edward wished to see himself. He wanted to see it directed at him...

Immediately, the color returned to her pale skin and she looked at the nurse. "I feel so much better, thank you Lily."

"No problem Bella," said Lilith as she pulled a notepad from the pocket of her white coat and a pen. She scribbled across it before ripping it off and handing it to the younger woman. "Here, I'm excusing you for the rest of the day. Go get some fresh air and get something in your stomach. It'll help with the dizziness." At this she glanced at Edward, there was a minute shift in the air about her face that he barely caught.

_Next time you decide to sit at lunch with her, do not let her go without eating. She has a very adverse reaction to the smell of blood. Something you should understand well._

The thought had been so quick he had almost missed it and whatever the nurse did to keep her mind shielded was put back in place. Edward eyed the nurse wearily, the suspicious look on his face showing quite clearly on his face. Lilith didn't look at him as she folded her arms, waiting for Bella to get to her feet.

"Thanks Lily, you're a lifesaver," she said, taking the note in one hand and stuffing in her pocket. "Sorry for barging in like this but the smell of blood really gets to me."

"Don't blame you. That salty, rusty smell doesn't sit well with me either but you learn to block it out in time." Lilith laughed softly at this, as if she knew some private joke.

Bella looked surprised for a moment before her smile returned. "That's exactly what I smell but no one seems to believe me. Nice to know I'm not the only one. Although I don't think I'll get into nursing like you did in order to get used to it."

"Trust me, you aren't alone." Lilith smiled at her young friend. "Are we still up for Seattle next weekend?"

"Wouldn't miss it for anything," said Bella in reply. She looked at Edward then, the smile directed his way seemed to have erased the frown from his face. "Did Alice say she was still coming with us?"

"Um... yes," said Edward. "She can't stop talking about it actually." Or thinking about it. He had never seen his sister so excited in so many years. She'd literally been bouncing off the walls the moment they had gotten home from school yesterday. Jasper was smiling the entire time having taken in all of that energy along with her. Her happiness was so infectious that even Rosalie was smiling.

At that moment, Mike Newton's voice could be heard calling into the office for the nurse. Lilith glanced out the doorway as she dropped her arms. "Sounds like another one. You might want to hold your breath while you walk out of here Bella and don't look anywhere but straight ahead if the sight of Blood gets to you."

Bella didn't need telling twice as she followed behind the nurse to her office and she quickly skirted passed Newton, who was carrying a very pale looking boy from her class. Edward was not too far behind her. As Lilith helped the boy, named Lee Stephens, into the patients' room, she didn't ignore the glare she had received from Edward just before he left. Apparently, he didn't like the fact that she was so friendly with Bella.

Oh well, he would just have to deal with it...

…

Friday came and went and there was little to tell. The day went a little more peacefully since blood was not being drawn and students weren't fainting.

Bella had told Lily that she was heading for La Push to First Beach on Saturday and Charlie was heading to the reservation to go fishing with his best friend for that weekend. There was talk of perhaps getting together for dinner Saturday night...

Edward Cullen was no where in sight and neither was his bigger brother, Emmett Cullen. Bella didn't look too happy at that but she kept the smile on her face for all to see.

Saturday arrived with a beautiful morning to show for it and for the first time in a long time, Lilith saw the sun. She had emerged from her cabin and stood in the gravel drive in her bare feet. She lifted her face to the feel of the life giving warmth and she felt her heart give a strong thump. Her life had been forever caught in shadows... to feel the sun was rare moment for her...

Perhaps, things would be simple... maybe...


	12. Chapter 12

_(A/n) Thank you so much to Done with Shiz and aurike for your reviews. You are so wonderful and I appreciate the feedback._

* * *

Alice had been sitting peacefully behind her laptop, her tiny and delicate-looking fingers lightly gripping the pen as she traced it lightly over a digital art pad. Her golden eyes were focused on the image, a portrait of a woman done in gray and black. The background was black, her clothing was black, her curls were black... The only spot of color that could be seen was her skin tone, a rich golden color, and the flower on top of the staff that she held, a fierce blood red poppy.

She sighed and leaned her head against the white wall beside her, her pen hovering above the pad. She could hear the rest of her family around her, going about their nightly hobbies. Jasper and Emmett were in an intricate game of chess, the rules set specifically to their standards. It was one of the games to which neither she, nor Edward, were allowed to play. Not that she blamed her mate and her big brother for.

Rosalie was sprawled on the sofa, flipping through channels at an alarming rate on the flat screen, never pausing to see what was showing. Alice focused on her sister, seeing that the visions were dancing from being in the garage, tuning her BMW, to remaining where she was. Alice tried not to laugh at her sister's indecision. Upstairs, she could hear Esme humming. When Alice focused on her mother, she could see that Esme was drawing out a deck on a set of blue prints for a new house.

For the first time, in such a long time, Edward was sitting behind the grand piano that was stationed off the entryway. He was running his hand gently up the scales, testing the pitch. It was still tuned to perfection by Esme, just in case. Thank goodness for her loving thoughtfulness because Edward had began the first line of a tune that he had been deciding to play for a few days now.

Esme had paused upstairs, no doubt listening to her son play, before she flitted to the top of the staircase. Edward added some harmony, the main melody weaving intricately through it. Esme sighed with contentment and Alice allowed the gentle melody to sweep her away form the here and now...

Suddenly, the music stopped and Edward laughed, a sharp sound of amusement that lit up his handsome features. When was the last time Alice had ever seen her brother laugh? At that sound, Esme had flitted down the stairs to stand behind her son, a graceful hand on his shoulder. "Don't stop."

Alice noticed that Rosalie was glaring at Edward before she got up from the sofa and made her way to the garage, no doubt to work on her car.

"What's wrong Rose?" Emmett called after her, his voice filled with concern. He didn't get an answer in reply. He turned his attention to Edward, his butterscotch eyes filled with confusion. "What was that about?"

"I haven't the faintest idea," said Edward, a smile still lingering on his lips as he continued to play on his new song at Esme's request. The song was beautiful, compelling, but incomplete. Alice focused her gaze on the portrait on the monitor. Lilith's face was bore a gentle smile but her gaze was sad, the shadows that covered the left half of her face did not hide the piercing gaze of a white eye. She was not sure when she had been compelled to draw this portrait. Perhaps it was because of the lack of Lilith's face in her visions that she had to draw the human. Where she had seen the wooden staff with the blood red poppy on top, she could not recall. However, it suited her Lil in some way, as if it was a part of her...

Deciding not to linger on the questions of her human, Alice abandoned her art pad and lap top and flitted over to the piano. She sat beside her brother and started to sing along to the melody that would becomesomething significant to his own human. The melody continued until it became slower and lower...

Alice paused as a vision struck her full force, the tingle that rushed across the front of her skull was almost painful.

_The shadowy form of a woman could be seen, her features were never clear but the blood red flower atop the staff she wielded was a sign to her identity. Across from her, there stood an inhumanely tall man. His midnight black hair was slicked back away from a pale face that was neither handsome nor ugly. His black eyes were focused on the woman as he pulled his hands from the pockets of his black trench coat._

"_Prepare yourself," he growled before clenching his fists, moving with inhuman speed toward the woman. The female braced herself, wielding her staff in front of her just before the man was just about to collide with her. Everything went black..._

"No!" Alice had reached forward in a vain attempt to reach out for Lilith in her vision. The image had faded away and her hands were braced against the keys of the piano. She glanced at her brother, who had seen the vision in her mind, before she got up from the bench and flitted upstairs to her and Jasper's room. The vision was not something that was happening now but something that would happen within the next night or two. She sat down on the bed and focused on any visions pertaining to Lilith.

In a moment she got an image of a shadowy Lil sitting at the small kitchen table with Bella and Chief Swan, laughing at whatever had been said. She focused a little more into the future and she saw Bella driving Lil home for the night, a sense of happiness filled the vision. Bella looked happy, at ease... What would happen that would change that?

That pale man... he could have been a vampire but Alice wasn't so sure. There was something as off with him as there was with Lil. He wasn't entirely vampire, he bore same shadowy outline as Lil but it wasn't as strong. Was he like Lilith? Another strange being with unexplained powers?

She was startled from her thoughts at the sound of the door opening, She glanced up to find Esme standing on the threshold, a look of worry on her beautiful, pale face. Her amber eyes were swimming with tears that would never fall as she glided her way into the room and sat down upon the bed beside her youngest daughter. She reached out a graceful hand and carefully ran it over the layered flips of Alice's short black hair. "It was of your Lilith again?"

At this Alice gave a gentle nod, leaning into Esme's gentle touch. "Someone is going to attack her within the next night or two. Some strange vampire, at least he seemed to be one... It was hard to tell."

"She would be able to handle herself wouldn't she?"

Esme and Alice looked up to catch sight of Jasper standing in the door way before he flitted over to sit beside his wife on the bed. He gathered her in his arms and hugged her close. "She has powers from what you and Carlisle had told us. She can defend herself against a vampire."

"He was like her. I could see him better than I ever could Lil but there was still some shadows that obscured a part of him from my sight."

Silence followed this statement.

Esme quietly excused herself, after hearing that Edward and Emmett were about to leave for their hunting trip. She was going to say goodbye. The next several days were going to be beautifully sunny, at least for this area, and that meant that Monday and Tuesday would mean no school.

Alice felt her heart drop at the thought of this. She enjoyed going to school but since finding Lilith and Bella, she was looking forward to it even more. To not see either of them was dampening her spirits...

She felt a sudden bubble of happiness well up in her heart and she glanced back at Jasper, a grateful look in her golden eyes.

"We'll go and check on her this weekend, we'll help her if she needs it darlin'," said Jasper, his Texan accent adding to the natural charm he always gave off. He kissed the tip of her nose as his wife's smile grew and she buried her face within the crook of his neck, a gentle sigh of contentment escaping from her.

.

Saturday was bright and cheerful and sunny.

Alice spent her time going over Esme's and Rosalie's wardrobe, revamping their styles to something that was much more current for their "age groups." After that, she had gone hunting with Jasper in the surrounding forest, enjoying the freedom of just being what they were. Being so fast and so strong had its perks and even Alice enjoyed the feel of a good run.

It wasn't until the sun was beginning to set and twilight had settled down upon the town of Forks, that Alice began to feel antsy.

Once the sun had set, the vision from the night before had replayed itself much more strongly than last and she was gone before anyone could even attempt to stop her. Jasper was not far behind her and thankfully Esme and Rosalie had decided to remain behind.

Alice raced through the trees that edged around the town of Forks and made her way toward the Haverton cabins, not paying much mind to the faint sound of her husband running beside her. She was solely focused on the fact that her human could be in danger from someone who could hurt her. This sudden thought propelled her quicker than before, she almost missed the feel of a warm, tingling sensation that passed over and through her.

She didn't realize that she was now running alone, her husband was no where to be seen. She continued to run toward where the main cabin rested, catching the scent of pine and earth, sulfur and fire, ice and mist...

The familiar scent of earth and pine propelled her forward and she broke through the trees and into the clearing where the cabin rested. She caught sight of a field of grass beside the gravel drive, the familiar silhouette of a woman bearing a staff standing barefoot across from an inhumanely tall male, who was dressed in all black...

She didn't hesitate to rush toward Lilith. She didn't even catch sight of a terribly large wolf who was lounging beside the cabin and watching the vampire with what looked like amusement. The inhumanely tall vampire and Lilith were just about to attack one another when Alice suddenly scooped the human within her small arms and turned to rush back the way she had came.

Lilith let out a cry in surprise, dropping her staff to the ground, where it wavered and disappeared back into the shadows. Alice was focused on getting away from the strange vampire, focused on getting her human sister as far as possible from any source of harm. When she had passed the area where she had felt that tingling warmth from before, a flash of red light erupted in recognition of the human she carried.

"Alice?"

Jasper, who had been struggling to find away across the barrier that surrounded the land, was caught by surprise at the sight of his wife carrying the human. She had passed the barrier as if it were never there and she was rushing back to the Cullen home with a protesting human in her arms. He rushed after her, worry and amusement warring within him. From the look on Lilith's face, she wasn't expecting to get abducted from her own home.

She was holding onto Alice, her eyes wide in surprise, one brown and the other milky. Her gaze caught sight of Jasper and he could sense her confusion, shock and deep worry. Jasper merely followed behind his wife and gave the human a smile, shrugging his shoulders helplessly.

.

_Earlier that evening..._

"Come, show me your skills."

Lilith glanced up from the paperwork and books that had been strewn across her small table and stared at her mentor. Silvan was standing beside her chair, dressed in his usual black clothing and trench coat. His hands were in his pockets and he was watching her with the usual look on his face. Blank and emotionless.

Setting the book she had been reading aside, she slowly pushed away from the table and stood up. Her gaze remained on the books and papers on the table, a thoughtful frown on her face. She had been looking over the local legends concerning the Quileutes and there were indeed mentions of the Cullens, who were simply called the Cold Ones. They had struck up a treaty with the people, since the Cullens did not hunt humans. They were welcome to stay within the land so long as they did not hunt humans in the area or trespass upon Quileute land.

From what Lilith had gathered, the Cullens had returned to Forks two years previously and their return had triggered the ancient hellhound magic that ran through the veins of three young Quileute males. Namely, Sam, Jared and Paul. There were more likely other boys that carried that magic within their blood, maybe even some of the young women. How many descendants of that hellhound Dip had mentioned were running around in this area? How many could potentially erupt into a likeness of their many times great grandfather?

The answer was hard to determine and that was from one hellhound alone. Imagine if there were others of his pack who had decided to follow in their alpha's footsteps and mated with a human female. It wasn't common for these hellish wolves to remain mated with a human female for life, not when their own females were so strong and could handle their aggressive mating habits but it did happen in remote areas of the world. Such as here in the American north west where female hellhounds were a rare sight. Mating would have been a right that was reserved for the lucky few, a murderous competition in such packs would essentially destroy it. Maybe that was why that one hellhound mated with a human woman. Less competition and a good stock in breeding strong pups, if the right female were found.

Lilith had been so intrigued by this mystery she had found, she decided to take a look at the local legends for any signs or hints of the hellhound who had mated with a human woman. There was not much written down unfortunately. Of course it was to be expected since the people of this land were quite adept of telling their legends and history by word of mouth rather than by written word. She decided that paying a visit with the elders down at the reservation would resolve her curiosity. She could get in contact with the pack leader Sam and arrange a meeting...

"Lilith."

She looked over at Silvan and a touch of pink appeared within her caramel cheeks. "I'm sorry Silvan. I've become more distracted since coming to the human world. I don't know why..." She trailed off and absently rubbed her forehead.

A hint of a smile appeared on the old vampire's face, knowing exactly why his charge was so distracted. She was human and spending so much time in the world she was born to, spending time with those of her own kind, had brought to surface her human traits that had long been buried.

"Come." He turned away and walked toward the front door, disappearing into the night.

_Always to the point,_ Lilith thought as a smile danced upon her lips. She hadn't had a good training session with her mentor in a long time. It would be like the old days... She caught herself before she went into another train of thought. She needed this actually, she had been so out of touch with the ancient magic that was bound to her since coming to Forks. She would have to stop that. She was a member of the Guard now and losing focus was not a freedom she would allow herself.

Undoing the velcro straps to her sandals, she slipped them off and took in a calming breath. She was dressed in casual clothing, a pair of faded jean capris and a bright yellow, off the shoulder blouse that was a contrast to the usual earth tones she wore. She made her way outside and she could feel Silvan's magic humming in the air. Her own magic rose up in response as she located him in the grass field off to the side of the gravel drive.

She caught sight of Dip resting beside the cabin as she made her way to the field. He was in his hound form and the only thing that could be seen of him were his piercing, fiery orbs and a fleck of ember every now again that dripped from his mouth. He watched Lilith as she drew her staff from the shadows that had formed around her bare feet. She glanced back at him and caught a look of amusement in his eyes. She wondered what was so funny about a training session with Silvan.

Ignoring the hellhound, she continued on toward the field and stood across from Silvan, her staff resting lightly at her side. Silvan had his own fists clenched within the pockets of his trench coat and a deep blue glow could be seen emitting through the fabric as he waited for his charge. He spread his feet apart into a stance, one forward and one back, one who looked ready to attack head on. Lilith responded by setting her feet evenly into a defensive stance, her staff moving forward in a protective gesture.

He pulled his fists from his pockets and focused, the hum of his magic filled the air with powerful, icy pulses. "Prepare yourself."

Lilith's grip on her staff grew firm as she prepared herself for the attack. She was so focused on her mentor that she did not sense the vampire who had broken through the treeline and rushed toward her, no sound emitting from those tiny feet. Lilith gasped in surprise as she found herself swept off of her feet and being whisked away at an alarming pace away from Silvan.

Silvan, who had been about to attack, simply relaxed from his stance and an actual smile slid across his pale face. Dip was still beside the cabin and she could hear his wolfish laughter as the trees surrounded them and the cabin disappeared from view. Caught in the strong grip of the tiny vampire, the shock and confusion was warring against the worry that touched her. She had caught the scent of the vampire who had stolen her and to find that it was Alice had kept Lilith from unleashing an offensive spell in retaliation. She could never harm her Alice... Of course, because of this fact, her magic had recognized Alice and allowed her to pass through the barrier.

Keeping a firm grip on the small shoulders of the pixie, she caught sight of another vampire, who had been struggling against the barrier, following behind them. He caught Lilith's questioning gaze and Alice's husband could only smile and shrug his shoulders in response.

It didn't take long to travel around the town and toward the home of the Cullens and before Lilith knew it she was standing in the middle of a very large room. It was done in varying shades of white from the carpeting, the floors, and the high beamed ceiling. To the west side of the room an elegant staircase curved its way up to the second story of the house. Of course, Lilith had been here once before, on that terrible night when she had allowed her Alice to be harmed.

Ignoring that train of thought for now, she turned on the spot, her bare feet leaving a smudge of brown and green. Grass stains and soil were not the best things to see on a white carpet but Lilith paid no mind to that as she focused her gaze on the pixie vampire who was standing in front of her. Her gold eyes were staring at her with worry before she rushed forward and placed her small hands on Lilith's face. "I was so worried I wouldn't get there in time. Are you all right? Did he harm you?"

The frown that had been playing on Lilith's face suddenly disappeared as realization dawned on her. Alice had a vision of her and Silvan in their training session. Since she didn't know who Silvan was she had assumed the worst and sped to her rescue. Emotion welled up tightly in her slow beating heart as Lilith stared down into the golden eyes of her Alice. Even with no memory of her, Alice still risked her very life in coming to save Lilith from, what Alice had thought, had been someone who wished to harm her.

Alice's gaze flicked between Lilith's milky orb and her earthy brown one. Her gaze then settled on the dark scar that started against the right side of Lilith's neck, went down across her right collar bone and stopped just short of the slope of her breast. The clothes that she normally wore had always hidden it from view. The yellow, off the shoulder blouse revealed it plainly. It was a definite that Lilith was able to mask her true appearance in some way. The scar across her left eye was something Alice had seen only once but she had never seen the wicked looking scar against her neck and collar bone. It was black, as if someone had taken a flame and burned the scar tissue until it was charred beyond healing.

A gentle sob emerged as Alice gently dropped her left hand from Lilith's face and ran her icy fingers along the scar. It was colder than her own skin and she could not keep away the fear that rose up in her at the feel of it. This wasn't a natural scar, there was something otherworldly about it. Something that reminded her of a night of fear so long ago...

"The nightmare..." Alice whispered, not understanding where the term had come from but the sense of deja vu was touching her. Whatever had caused this scar, Alice had this unmistakeable feeling that Lilith had received it from protecting her. When and how, she couldn't recall but it was there. A flash of earthy brown eyes emerged from the depths of her mind and a warm arms that held her tightly, protecting her from something...

Lilith was trembling from the sadness and love that was within her heart of hearts. She wished so badly that she could tell her Alice of their past in that asylum, of their friendship and love in the darkest times of their lives. However, she couldn't. She didn't want Alice to be tainted with the memories of her human past. If she was happier not remembering than Lilith would have it remain so. Still, it didn't make it easy for her and suddenly found herself beginning to cry. So many years of pent up emotions bombarded her all at once and she sobbed. She missed her sister, she missed those stolen times when Abel, the vampire doctor that had been the love of Lilith's life, would sneak them out of their cells and allow them moments of peace, just the three of them together. Yes, their lives had been a nightmare but there had been hope. Abel had given them that hope of being able to live together forever. It was what made everything worth struggling through. That one hope that Abel gave them. Then the nightmare had come and taken it all away...

Alice wrapped her arms around the woman, taken surprise by the fact that she was sobbing and wishing there was some way she could make it stop. The feeling of deja vu continued even as she ran gentle circles across Lilith's shoulders. Lilith in turn had wrapped Alice in a tight embrace, the feel of her slightly warmer skin catching Alice off guard. Lilith buried her face against the fabric of Alice's expensive blouse, not caring that she was ruining it with her tears. Alice didn't seem to mind either. It was worth it if it meant Lilith was here.

It wasn't until Jasper, who had been silently watching the interaction by the door, filled Lilith with a deep sense of calm until her sobs ceased. Lilith pulled away from Alice's shoulder and gave a small but grateful smile his way. He smiled in response, though the worry was in his butterscotch eyes. He could smell her for the first time since that day in the nurse's office and her scent was deep and rich, pine and earth. It suited her and he was rather glad that it held no temptation for him whatsoever. The hint of sulfur was a definite throw off. Not terrible but slightly unpleasant.

"Well, it seems we have an unexpected guest."

All eyes focused on the sight of Esme standing in the open doorway that led to the kitchen. She was smiling warmly at the sight of Lilith just before it faltered on the sight of her scarred, milky eye. A look of recognition passed before it faded just as quickly and her smile remained as it was, open and welcoming as her home. "I'm Esme, it's a pleasure to finally meet you Lilith. We've heard so much about you." She moved gracefully toward the other woman and wrapped her in a tight but human safe hug. Lilith was caught by surprise at the gesture but it wasn't unwelcome. There was something very honest and loving about Esme and Lilith immediately took a liking to the beautiful vampire as she returned the gesture.

"Here dear," said Esme as she pulled away from Lil and flitted away and back so quickly, a normal human would have been dizzy. Lilith simply thanked her as she took a few tissues and gently wiped the tears from her flushed cheeks.

"The human's here?"

The most beautiful of the Cullen vampires had appeared at the top of the stairs, a deep scowl marring the angelic beauty. She walked down the stairs at a human pace and stopped beside Jasper, her golden eyes flicking over Lilith, trying to find any faults. The scowl lessened slightly at the sight of the wicked looking scar that was visible to all present on her collar bone and completely faded at the sight of the scarred, milky eye. Rosalie dropped her arms as recognition appeared but it did not disappear as it had with Esme. Instead, she kept her gaze focused on the scarred eye before her posture began to relax.

Lilith felt her heart give a strong thump in fear as the realization that she might have missed this vampire settled in. When she had cast that spell to ease the fear that the Cri had caused when it had harmed Alice, it was possible that she might have overlooked one of them. Thankfully Rosalie didn't say a word but the look on her face was as plain as day. Lilith was going to have to look forward to having a discussion with this family sooner rather than later.

"I'm Rosalie," said the blonde as she tucked an elegant golden wave behind her ear. She sniffed once, taking in the scent of the strange human before she turned and gracefully walked toward the couch. She sat down upon it and turned on the large screen TV, deciding to ignore everyone else.

Easing out a gentle breath, Lilith turned her attention to the pixie in front of her and tried to ignore the strong thump her slow beating heart had been giving since she had arrived here. "It's a pleasure I'm sure but exactly... why am I here?"

"Alice has a gift," said Jasper in reply, his southern accent charming his words. "She has visions of things that could happen, depending one what decisions are made by who. Her latest one had concerned you."

"You had a vision of me," said Lilith, her southern Mississippi accent was shining through, her shock quite apparent since she had dropped her formal dialect completely. Her gaze focused on her Alice, a gentle smile touching her lips. "You can see me?"

Alice looked surprised at the fact that Lilith had not questioned her ability, she had a feeling her human was quite aware of, and even familiar with, her ability. The pixie smiled in response to Lil's. "Not clearly but I know when it's you." Her smile disappeared as she thought back on the inhumanely tall vampire. "That man, I'm not sure if he is a vampire but I could see him a little more clearly than you. He was like you, the shadows seemed drawn to him. I was scared when he had moved to attack you. Everything had gone black." She glanced up at Lil and reached out to take the woman's hand on her ice cold ones. "I couldn't let him hurt you. If anything were to happen to you Lil..."

Lil took in a breath and squeezed the tiny hands that were wrapped around her own. "I don't blame you Alice, I thank you for being so willing to protect me. There was no need to worry about Silvan, he would never intentionally harm me. You are right when you assume he is like me."

"What are you?" Jasper asked, getting straight to the point. Since she was here and seemed willing to speak with Alice, at least they could get some answers. Like who she was, what she was, how did she know of vampires...

Lilith cast her gaze to the blond and opened her mouth to reply when Esme clapped her hands together in an excited manner. "Lilith, you must be hungry. How about I make you something to eat? I can finally put my kitchen to use for the first time."

Lil glanced at Esme, about to respond that she had no need to eat and that a glass of water would do more for her than food ever could, but the expectant look in those golden eyes kept her quiet. She looked down at Alice, who had been bouncing beside her with a giant smile on her face, suddenly went still. Her gaze had gone unfocused, a telltale sign of a vision. She blinked and her smile returned as she glanced up at the school nurse. "Stay with us, Esme's cooking will be worth it."

A moment of silence passed, one in which Lilith wondered if Silvan might have known this would happen. Dip had been filled with amusement the moment she had stepped out from the cabin. Silvan had an actual _smile_ on his face the moment Alice had whisked her away. Lil let loose a sigh and gave a nod in agreement. "All right."

"Yay!" Alice cried out before wrapping Lil in a safe hug and then whisked her off to the living room to sit beside Rosalie. The blonde didn't respond as Lil was dropped beside her and Alice bounced happily to sit beside Lil. Lil started to laugh at the bubbly personality that was so Alice. She had been like that on her good days, those rare days when it had been just the her, Lil and Abel...

Jasper had moved to sit beside his wife on the couch while Esme went to walk to the kitchen. "Rosalie, would you like to help me?"

Rosalie glanced over at Lil but didn't say anything as she hopped up from the couch to help Esme start on dinner.

Lilith turned her attention back to Alice and her mate, both sets of differing shades of gold eyes watching her. Jasper was a curious one but he didn't seem to be give off any vibes that he didn't trust her. At least not completely. There was a part of him that Lil sensed was wary of her. She didn't blame him at all. Lilith took in a breath and decided to steer the topic of what and who she was to the way side for now. "So... why high school?"

.

Carlisle was expecting to come home to a quiet house.

With Edward and Emmett gone for their hunting trip for the weekend, it left only the remainder of his family to take up their respective places in their home.

He was not expecting the moment he walked in through the door from the garage what he saw now.

Esme was flitting about the kitchen and the smell of baked chicken filled the entire first floor. She was humming happily to herself as she studied a cookbook, her golden brown waves falling about her beautiful, pale face. She was dicing up some tomatoes that were going into a salad and there was a sense of true contentment in her that Carlisle had not seen in such a long time.

Rosalie was standing beside her, a look of disgust and fascination warring upon her angelic face. She was currently mixing a bowl of salad, her golden eyes staring at the greens as if she had never seen anything like it before. At the sound of him entering the kitchen, both women turned to look at him. Esme had a welcome smile on her face while Rosalie scowled, a usual feature that had been there as of late.

"Welcome home," said Esme as she set the knife aside and flitted over to gather him into a tight hug. "We have a guest so no disappearing into the study tonight." She kissed him on the cheek before helping to gather his briefcase and coat from him. "She's in the living room with Alice and Jasper."

Confusion welling up within him, he sent a questioning glance over to Rosalie. The beautiful blonde said nothing in response and simply turned back to tossing the salad. Seeing that he wasn't going to get an answer from his oldest daughter, he walked gracefully at a human pace toward the living room. The sound of Alice's laughter filled the large room as he came upon them.

Alice was sitting with her dancer's legs folded lotus style upon the sofa. Jasper was sitting beside her, a look of contentment on his face as a smile curled the corners of his lips up. However, the sight of the school nurse sitting beside Alice, turned slightly toward the pixie so her profile was visible, was not what he had been expecting. He had not seen her in a month but her caramel skin was just as he remembered it. The sight of the dark scar on her right collar bone was not and a gentle gasp escaped him. He hadn't seen that scar before and at the moment whatever she used to keep her appearance normal was not present. She was in plain view for all to see, no longer hiding behind her human facade.

He could sense the energy of her blood pumping slowly through her veins, he could feel his control begin to wane as temptation began to set in. Most of all, he could sense the evil that was bound to the the very skin of that dark scar. There were demons bound to her very skin, the dark and shimmering scar was like something he had seen from his days as a human. When demons had possessed humans more frequently and his father, an Angelican pastor, had been called to exorcise them. Some of those who were possessed had born such dark scars...

At that moment, all eyes had turned to Carlisle and the smile that had been on Alice's face disappeared. Lilith, who had been smiling herself, had turned her smile his way and the sight of the black eyes on Carlisle wiped it clean away. At once, she pulled up her glamour to protect herself and the one vampire who hungered for her blood. It was a wrong move.

As the magic flickered up and around her, the scent of her blood was heightened by the ancient magic that now hummed through the air like a wave of heat. The pulse of the energy slammed against Carlisle and the last of his control was shattered.

A deep growl emerged from Carlisle's chest and vibrated through the silence of the room. Lilith was up on her feet just as Jasper leapt from his place on the couch and slammed against Carlisle, who had been about to spring toward the source of his blood lust. Jasper sent out wave after wave of calm to the older vampire, the stunned look on the former soldier's face speaking measures. Carlisle _never_ lost control. He was the epitome of self control. He _never_ gave into his blood lust... This wasn't good.

Meanwhile, Lilith was struggling to keep her glamour in place, her heart was beating slightly faster than it usually did and her magic was sparking against some unseen force. It felt as if something were pulling at the core of the ancient magic that was bound to her. Something that was much more powerful than any force she had ever encountered. She couldn't place what it was but it was trying to bind itself to her center, trying to find a gap in the protective embrace of her glamour. The worst of it all was that it felt to be coming from the growling vampire that was trying to get to her.

It took a moment for Jasper's calm to take effect but by then the damage had been done. When the pure gold returned to Carlisle's eyes, the look of horror on his face was enough. He stared at Lilith as if he had never seen anything like her before he turned and disappeared through the front door, out to the safety of the night.

"I... didn't see that happening." Alice stared at the open door in surprise. "He wasn't supposed to lose control like that..." She looked over at Lilith, who had moved to stand against the far wall in an attempt to stay away from Carlisle. Her face was normal, no scars or milky eye could be seen and realization dawned on Alice. Lilith had made a split second decision to hide her true self from Carlisle. It was that simple effect that had changed everything. There was something about Lilith's powers, something that effected Carlisle like no normal human ever could. It made perfect sense now.

The rest of the family had been standing in stunned silence, not one of them had ever seen the doctor give in to his blood lust... It was a very awakening moment for all present. All eyes focused on the school nurse then, who was beginning to sense that her welcome had come to an end.

"I'm sorry... I didn't think." Lilith said, focusing her gaze on Alice. Lil was well aware of what her blood did to him but it wasn't until now that she realized it was actually the magic that coursed through her blood that effected him so terribly. She had never heard of a vampire who lost control, not because of the blood, but the power that ran within it. She had to speak with Silvan, he would know exactly why that was. He had told her to keep her glamour up at all times for good reason...

She swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat and she quickly made her way to leave. She could feel everyone's eyes on her but she didn't look at any of them. For the first time in her life, she felt ashamed of what she was...

She felt a cold hand wrap around her arm and she looked back in shock to find Jasper keeping her from leaving. He couldn't feel her emotions now that she had masked herself completely but the look on her face was as plain as day. "Don't feel that way darlin', it wasn't your fault. You didn't know."

She felt another cold hand grab her other arm and she looked to see Alice smiling sadly up at her. "It's all right, Carlisle is the strongest of all of us. He's never lost control and... like Jazz said, you didn't know."

Lil gave a sad smile in response and gently shook her head. "That's the problem. I did know and I still made the mistake. Tell him I'm sorry..."

"You will come back for dinner another night, won't you?" Esme had a worried look on her face, not just for the man she loved as her brother and friend but for the human woman who looked so torn over all that had happened.

Lil blinked in surprise, she would have thought they would not want her around after this had happened. Esme looked so sincere though and the smile on Alice's face was worth it after the trouble that had happened. She gave a nod in reply. "Maybe lunch will be better... when he's not home..."

Esme smiled at this and clasped her hands together. "That sounds wonderful. I'll plan something extra special for you to try."

"We're still on for Saturday, right?" Alice kept her hold on Lil's hand, not wanting her to leave until she knew for sure that things would be all right. She didn't want to lose Lil's friendship because of this and she wanted so badly for the vision of her entire family becoming so happy to remain true. She had seen it in her visions of them. Carlisle and Lilith... Something was trying to bind them together, this golden thread was trying in earnest to reach from Carlisle to Lilith. Whatever it was, Alice knew they had to remain in each other's presence if only for their family's true happiness to come to fruition.

"Yes, I wouldn't miss it for anything." Lil said in reply to Alice's question, her feelings of love for her only sister remaining strong even after what had happened. She could never stay away from her Alice, now that she had found her again. Jasper could see the love that Lil had for his wife from the very day in the nurse's office, she wasn't hard to read if you knew how to look. He could sense that his wife felt the same way, that sisterly bond between them was deep, something that had been around far longer than they had known one another. This woman knew Alice in a way that none of them were aware of and he was curious as to how and when it had happened.

"Would you tell us about yourself next time?" he asked, his golden eyes studying the nurse.

Lil glanced at Jasper and frowned thoughtfully. "There are some things about myself that I can't tell and some things which are best left unsaid. But, I will try." She smiled at this, she wouldn't tell them her whole story but maybe a part of it would be all right...

She bade everyone goodnight and the moment she crossed the threshold and stepped out into the welcome night, shadows erupted from beneath her feet. The vampires watched in shock as the supposedly human woman glided away at the speed a vampire could run, the only sign of her presence a trail of disturbed grass and foliage.


	13. Chapter 13

_Monday morning, Forks High..._

"Vampires..."

The whisper was so soft that Lilith had almost missed it.

She glanced up from the chart on her desk, catching sight of Bella standing in the doorway to the main office. She carefully set her pen aside and signaled Bella to come in. The seventeen year old quickly crossed the threshold and closed the door behind her, her pale skin was whiter than usual. She quickly took a seat in the wooden chair in front of Lil's desk, her bag thumping to the linoleum floor beside her.

The silence fell between them and Lilith waited patiently as Bella tried to gather her thoughts. The young woman swallowed back the tightness that had grown in her throat before she looked up at her friend. "They're vampires..."

Lilith leaned slightly forward in her seat, studying her young friend as her troubled thoughts warred upon her face. Bella studied the nurse and her face, if possible, grew even more pale. "The Cullens. They're vampires. That explains everything about them... The pale skin, the beauty, the speed." She clasped her hands tightly together, her knuckles going white. "Why they don't eat... Why everyone seems to stay away from them..." She looked up, her chocolate brown eyes studying Lilith's. "I'm right, aren't I?"

"What does your instinct tell you?" Lilith replied as she rose up her chair and moved around the desk. She sat on the corner of it, her gaze taking in the tense form of Bella. She looked very worried, afraid, and yet there was something else. Determination... that was what Lilith saw. Bella was determined to follow through with what her natural instincts were leading her toward. To a world that was beyond what she knew, to the supernatural...

"I'm right," said Bella, her shoulders slumping slightly as she let out the breath she had been holding. Her clasped hands tightened as she focused on a swirling knot of wood on the desk. "The only question is what do I do about it Lily?" She looked up to her friend, her chocolate brown eyes pleading. "I'm drawn to them... There's something pulling me toward them... toward him..." She trailed off as tears welled in her eyes.

Lilith moved closer to Bella and reached out to take her hands in her own. "Follow it then. See where the pull leads you. You found the path now, it's up to you on whether you wish to walk it."

"I have no choice... I don't think I ever did."

Lilith smiled a little and gently shook her head. "We all have a choice in our lives Bella and it is that choice that will make a difference."

Bella remained silent for a moment before she took in a breath. "Will you tell me what you are?"

Lilith's gaze grew thoughtful as she studied the young witchling. She was close but she hadn't discovered the truth of her own self. The nurse squeezed Bella's hands and drew them close. "I will when you tell me what you are."

"What I am?" Bella blinked in confusion and Lilith released the young woman's hands. She moved around the desk and sat back down in her chair. Bella stared at the nurse as silence fell once again between them before the young woman got up from her chair and left the office, deep in thought...

.oOo.

The next two nights passed with little incident and Bella was actually glad to be going out that evening with Jessica and Angela. The estrogen rush was a must and Bella found herself enjoying the dress shopping. She gave her two cents in regards to what looked great and what wasn't too flattering. Shopping wasn't her thing but she had to admit she did have fun.

The dress shopping didn't take as long as expected and Bella decided to look for the bookstore that Jessica pointed out on the way to the dress shop. Bella always enjoyed her books and she felt it was something she felt best to do on her own. They agreed to meet up at the local Italian restaurant at a set time and Bella quickly made her way up the street in the direction to where the bookstore was located.

Bella found it easily enough and it was nothing like she expected. The windows were full of dream catchers, different colored shawls, so many different types and sizes of crystals that were used for gazing, meditating, or whatever was fancied by customers who shopped there, and of course books. Through the glass, she could see a middle-aged woman with long, silver hair that hung straight down to her back. She was clad in a dress that looked right out of the Flower Child period of the 20th century and she had such a welcome smile on her face

Feeling as if some other force had taken control of her feet, Bella soon found herself standing in the bookstore. There were rows of bookshelves that went far back into the store and the smell of incense filled the air. It was a very light scent and Bella found that she liked it a lot, it didn't suffocate her senses. In fact, she felt herself relaxing and a gentle smile touched her lips.

"Welcome to The Western Yew Bookshop," said a surprisingly youthful voice from Bella's left. The younger woman glanced over to find the older woman behind the counter, who was smiling kindly at her with an expectant look in her dark blue eyes. "I was hoping you would decide to come in."

Bella felt the warmth in her cheeks at those words, normally Bella would not be found in such a place as this. In another time and place, she wouldn't have even given this place a second thought. However, considering all that she had learned from Jacob Black regarding the Cold Ones, the Cullens, and all of the mystery that still surrounded Lily, she could feel that this place was the best to turn to. Something compelled her to enter this store and she learned awhile ago from Lily not to go against her instincts.

"Hello," said Bella in a very respectful tone. Her smile had grown slightly by this time, her uneasiness giving way to a comfort that she only felt when she was with Lily. She liked this woman, there was something about her that was very calming and soothing. "I was looking for some new books and my friend had pointed the way to your store..." She trailed off at this, now finding herself wondering exactly what type of books she was looking for. To be frank, she wasn't even sure herself...

"I think I know what you might be seeking," said the older woman, a knowing smile on her weathered skin. "My name is Genna by the way."

"Bella," she replied in kind, watching as the woman named Genna moved from behind the counter and made her way to the back of the store. Genna didn't respond and Bella moved to follow the older woman, her instincts telling her to follow. She passed a couple of rows of bookshelves before Genna led the way through a beaded doorway. Bella followed through and found herself in a small room that was filled shelves of very old books. Genna was standing on a step ladder and pulling down a leather bound book the moment Bella had moved to stop behind her.

"Here we are, this is what you came for." Genna handed the book down the Bella, who took it without hesitation. The book didn't look as old as the others but there was still some wear to it. There was no title on the cover or spine of it but Bella felt a sense of familiarity about it. She opened the cover just as the older woman stepped down from the stool and walked off to a cabinet that was resting in the opposite corner of the room. Bella didn't notice, she absorbed by the very name that was on the the first page of the book.

_Book of Shadowed Mirrors _

_Helen Swan __née_ _Blakewood_

Helen Swan... her grandmother... There weren't many women with that particular name in this area but maybe it was just a coincidence. She glanced up to find the older woman was watching her, that knowing smile growing on her face. Bella felt her mouth open and then close, she was at a complete loss for words.

"It is as you think young Isabella Swan," Genna said, her smile growing just a bit. "That book belonged to your grandmother, your father's mother, who was a very good friend of mine." She sighed softly and turned her gaze away, her dark blue eyes welling with unshed tears. "I miss her so... but such is life." She held a small, purple silk pouch in one hand and a framed photo in the other. She studied Bella, watching the shock flit across the younger woman's face.

"H-how did you know-"

"Your full name?" Genna laughed gently as she walked forward and held out the photo to her. "Your grandma loved you very much. She was so proud of you."

Bella closed the leather bound book and reached out to take the framed photo. Her heart nearly dropped at the sight of the people in the frame. It was her Grandma Swan, her chocolate brown eyes were alight with happiness as she stood beside the unmistakable form of Grandpa Swan and Genna. In her grandma's arms, there was a newborn, a full head of dark hair visible within the pink blankets. Beside Genna, Charlie had his arm wrapped around Renee and you could see that they had been, once upon a time, very much in love.

"I've never seen this before..." Bella said softly, the tears welling in her eyes. She glanced up at Genna and shook her head. "Grandma Swan never mentioned you before she passed away..."

"No, she wouldn't," said Genna, her smile now sad. "She was my best friend, my sister. She wanted you to live as much of a normal life as possible. She did not wish you to walk your destined path too soon..."

"My... destined path?"

"Surely you've become of aware of things? Things that shouldn't really exist." Genna's dark blue eyes had grown kind as she held out the silk pouch. "Take this with you. There are two within that pouch, one which you will feel belongs to you. It had been your grandmother's. It will aid you in your journey to come." She took the photo from Bella's slackened grip and replaced it with the pouch. "The other is meant for your coven mother."

"My coven mother?" Bella glanced up at the older woman, confusion evident in her eyes. She had no idea what this woman was speaking of but she knew it was important. She studied the woman carefully as Genna gave a firm nod in reply to her question.

"She is the one you feel that strong bond with. The one who will guide you along your path as you begin to grow within your natural abilities. You are very, very lucky to have such a one to teach you. She knows of things no mortal in this human world will ever know in their lifetime." A thoughtful look touched Genna's face, her eyes taking on a far off quality. "To walk the borders of life and death, and not be driven mad from it, takes a very strong heart."

Bella's thoughts immediately went to Lilith, the mysterious woman in which that strong bond had grown the very day of the accident. Lily's words from two days before rang up from the recesses of her memory. _I will when you tell me what you are..._

Lilith was her... coven mother? That meant something... She glanced at Genna as she held the pouch close to her breast. "What was Grandma Swan? What... am I?"

Genna smiled and gently shook her head as she moved forward and took Bella in her arms, hugging her close. Bella froze at first but then began to relax, there was something about this woman that was similar with her grandma, the very same air lingered about her. Something comforting.

"That is something you must discover for yourself," Genna said softly, giving Bella what last squeeze before releasing her and tucking a lock of the younger woman's hair behind her ear. "Once you find it, do not be afraid. That is why your coven mother is there for you, to help you."

.oOo.

Five minutes later, Bella left the bookstore and made her way down the streets, barely focusing on where her feet were taking her. She had tucked her grandmother's book within her bag and had opened the silk pouch. She reached in, her fingers brushing against cold metal and stone, there were two of them as Genna had said. One felt slightly cool to the touch and the other felt wonderfully warm. Her hands clasped the warm stone and pulled it out, revealing pointed red crystal that was wrapped in silver wire. A 20" chain trailed over her fingers as she held the crystal this way and that, studying it in the fading sunlight. Her grandmother had worn this once upon a time...

Without hesitation, she threw the chain over her head and pulled away her hair, the crystal settling comfortably over her heart. At once, she felt warm energy settle over the very end of her nerves, feeling as it did whenever she visited Lily. Was this crystal magical?

It was at this time that she realized that something was very wrong. She glanced up and looked around, not recognizing where she was. Had she taken a wrong turn? She hurried in what she felt was the right direction, trying to find her way back to the main part of town. After hurrying down some alleyways and empty streets, she found herself in what looked like the warehouse district of town.

Fear pricked at her heart as the growing darkness cast everything in a surreal atmosphere. She continued to walk, the sound of laughter caught her ears and she saw a group of four men, who looked to be in their mid twenties, making there way down the sidewalk. She scooted to the far end of the sidewalk, not responding when one of them called out to her. Her heart began to beat at a frantic pace as she hurried across one street and another, hearing the sound of the men's footsteps behind her.

Several times she found herself in dead end alleyways and several times she tried to correct her mistakes, her fear blinding her to the fact that she was so close to the nearest street that bore traffic and pedestrians. She had caught sight of the men during those times and it was with a sinking heart when she found herself in another dead end that she realized the men had been herding her to this location. They were blocking her only route of escape and her fear escalated as the men slowly approached.

"There you are!" One of the boomed, the largest of the group it seemed.

"We thought we lost you," said another, which one Bella couldn't tell from the shadows that now bathed the dark alleyway.

"Stay away from me," Bella warned, her chocolate brown eyes wide in fear as a hand reached up to clasp the stone that was growing warmer by the moment.

"Don't be like that sugar," another of them said, his voice trying to sound charming but it only came out as creepy and repulsive. They were getting nearer to her and Bella was against a brick wall, her heart now hammering at the rate of what felt like a hummingbird's wing.

"I'm warning you," said Bella, her voice growing stronger as her grandmother's stone began to pulse with a warm energy that reminded her of her bond with Lily. She had nothing to be afraid of, she can protect herself. She had something these men did not...

It was just as one of the men had suddenly tried to lunge forward to grab her that the most peculiar thing happened. A flash of blue light erupted from the center of Bella's brow, a shimmering shield of light that threw back the man and pressed him against the side of one of the surrounding buildings. The other men, apparently intoxicated, were stumbling back in confusion at the sight.

"What the fuck?" One of the men muttered but Bella was not focused on them, she was concentrating on keeping the miraculous shield up and the man pinned against the wall.

It wavered only slightly when the wall behind the pinned man looked like it was... _bubbling_. The shadows were bubbling around the man and something, some shape, began to take form. The man let out a cry in pain as the shadows wrapped around him and he was thrust against the opposite brick wall, a sickening crunch emitting from the impact as the shadows continued to dance and flow. They began to flow along the edge of Bella's shield, lovingly caressing against the shimmering blue light and taking vigil over her, looking as if they were protecting her.

"_Lonnie,_" a familiar voice emerged from the mass of shadows that were now flowing protectively in front of Bella. They rose up and fell away, revealing a familiar person that was now wearing a long black trench coat. The shadows tightened around the man against the wall and he cried out again as Lily walked closer to the man named Lonnie. "I was wondering when you and I would finally meet."

By this time, the other men had scattered, their screams echoing off the walls of the nearby buildings, the smell of their released bladders stinking up the entire alley. Lily paid them no mind as her gaze remained focused on the man pinned against the wall. She had turned slightly so that she was now facing the man, her profile visible from the shimmering blue light that was Bella's shield.

"Lily!" Bella cried out with relief, her shield dropping slightly at the sight of her friend. Her relief gave way to fear again as Lily glanced over at her. The sight of the scarred, milky white eye was not something she had been expecting and neither was the slight frown on her friend's face.

"Keep your shield up Bella," Lily said and without warning her right hand began to glow with a fierce, blood red light. Lonnie was struggling against the shadows that held him and his eyes were wide with fear. He was pleading, begging for his life, but the look on Lily's face was filled with a cold and calculated anger.

"Did you show mercy when Julie begged for you not to hurt her?" Lily's face twisted into agony as the memories of all of the young women and girls this monster had raped and killed flowed through her mind. "What of the others? Did you heed their pleas? Their cries?" The man didn't get to answer as the glowing hand suddenly thrust into the man's chest and he cried out in agony. "Then you try to take the life of one of my own... You will suffer for all of the innocence you had stolen from this world." Lily twisted and the man's body began to tremble and shake.

With a final twist, she pulled her hand out of the man's chest, a dark grey, spectral shape was in her grasp. The shape looked nothing like the man it had been, it was twisted and distorted, struggling against the hold that Lily had on where its throat would have been. It tried to claw its way out of her firm grip, its mouth opening in silent screams. Her hold tightened on the tainted soul, a flash of red light from her hand causing the soul to scream out in terror. It was an awful sound, something that sounded like nothing Bella could even describe.

"You will suffer," said Lily, her face had retained its cold mask. She threw the soul then, threw it down to the pavement but not before a shadow had emerged from the wall to catch it. It took shape to reveal that it was a tall woman with long golden hair. She wore no clothing and she didn't seem to care. Her body was all lithe muscle and grace, a feral air lingered about her naked form as she held the struggling soul in her grasp.

"Red Mother, I don't know if I should be insulted or amused that you would hand this soul to me," said the woman, her smile growing as Lilith frowned at the newcomer.

"Rieka, I ask this as a personal request," said Lily, moving to stand in front of Bella, who was staring wide eyed at the entire scene. Her shield was still shimmering between her and where Lily stood but it was starting to waver slightly from continual use. "This particular soul had killed a child, a young girl named Julie, over a month ago..."

At these words, the woman named Rieka growled and her golden eyes flashed to the soul that was still squirming in her grasp. Her hand tightened on the soul and it let loose another cry in anguish. "Consider it done Lilith," Rieka muttered and both women gave a slight bow in respect to one another before the nude woman turned, with the soul in hand, and disappeared back into the shadows from whence she had come. The shadows that held the body of the man fell away then and the corpse slowly slid down to the ground, a look of pure terror on its face.

It was at this time the shield finally fell away and Bella collapsed against a waiting Lilith, who had turned around to catch her. Bella let out a shaky breath as she glanced up at Lily's face, her true face with the marred eye. Whatever it was that Lily done to protect herself was now gone and Bella could sense that. This was Lilith in all of her imperfect glory.

Bella simply smiled at her dear friend, her coven mother, as she reached into her pocket and pulled out the silk pouch. She opened the pouch with a shaky hand and pulled out the cool stone she had felt earlier. It was a pointed crystal, much like her own, wrapped in silver wire on a long chain, but it was a beautiful aqua blue in color. It felt so cool to the touch and it seemed pulse in sync with Lily's energy. She held it out to the older woman, her arm trembling slightly. "Here, it was meant for you..."

Lily simply stared at the pendant, surprise flickering across her face, before she let out a huff of laughter and took the pendant. She could see Bella's own hanging over her breast and Lily knew this was what had called to her from so far away. She held her friend carefully as she pulled the chain over her head and the blue, pointed crystal settled over her own slow beating heart. Both crystals pulsed with warm and cool energy at the same time, recognizing the forming of a new coven of witches within this realm.

Lilith smiled at Bella as she helped her young friend to her feet. "Well young witch, you did well with your first protective shield."

Bella studied Lily and let out a shaky giggle as she shook her head, the realization that she was anything but human still a shock. As Lily helped her friend out of the alley, a flash of headlights suddenly blinded them and they paused in their steps. Once their eyes adjusted to the sudden light, they caught sight of a silver Volvo now parked in front of them, blocking their path.

Without warning, a small form erupted from the silver Volvo and moved with inhuman speed. Both women found themselves in the arms of a pixie, her tearless sobs overflowing their ears.

"You're all right! I was so worried about the both of you!" Alice pulled away from them to study Bella and Lily before she gathered them in her arms again, her small arms holding them firmly. Neither of them would be escaping Alice's grasp anytime soon.

Bella glanced over the pixie's shoulder and caught sight of a pair of black eyes that were staring back at her. Edward Cullen was standing outside of his silver Volvo, his eyes moving over Bella's petite form before glancing at Lily, who was awkwardly rubbing Alice's shoulder in comfort. Finally, his eyes settled on the body of the serial rapist that was now slumped in the shadows of the alleyway.

The anger that she saw in his eyes was murderous but Bella could say that the anger didn't hold a candle to the cold, calculated look that had been in Lily's eyes when she had taken that man's soul. She knew that vampires were the least of worries in this supernatural world that she now found herself in. She was a witch and she had an otherworldly woman who was to guide and protect her... Her coven mother...

Oh yes, this was a truth that Bella had not been expecting to discover...


	14. Chapter 14

_(A/n) Thank you to WhiteNorth for reviewing and again to Aurike for reviewing each chapter. To those who are curious, this _will_ be a romance between Alice and Bella. Now that the hump is over from the last chapter, it will be full sailing._

* * *

The moment the vision had robbed Alice of all of her senses, a sight of Bella be surrounded by a group of men in a dark alleyway before it all had gone black, her cries of distress filled the Cullen home. Edward had caught her vision as always and he was with her in a heartbeat, demanding to know where Bella was. She didn't respond, she simply flashed from her room and down to the garage, Edward rushing behind her.

She heard a few shouts from Jasper and Esme from the family room but neither Edward nor Alice paid any heed. They were in the silver Volvo and speeding off down the driveway to head to the highway. Port Angeles wasn't far, not at the speed in which Edward was driving. It was thankful that there weren't any law enforcement to catch them at the speed they were going.

By the time they had reached the warehouse district that Alice had seen in her vision, Edward caught the frightened thoughts of three drunken men running for their lives. Their minds were filled with the images of Bella, surrounded by a shimmering blue light and a familiar woman dressed all in black. He turned the car in the direction the men were fleeing from, the sound of screeching tires filling the evening air.

Just as Alice's panic was beginning to rise to true fear, Edward had made it to the alley that had been in the vision. The Volvo came to a sharp stop, blocking the path of a trembling but smiling Bella and Lilith, who had emerged unscathed from the alleyway. Alice was so relieved to see that Bella was all right, so relieved that it was Lilith who had come to her rescue. She was out of the Volvo in a flash and hugging both of them close, her tearless sobs filling their ears.

"You're all right! I was so worried about the both of you!"

For several moments there was nothing more than the sound of Alice's sobs, she could feel Lilith rubbing her shoulder in comfort, trying to ease her worry. Her undead heart was filled with happiness at that, Lilith was trying to comfort her even though _they _had been the ones who were in danger. She hugged them as tightly as she was able, afraid to let either of them go...

A low growl broke the moment and all three of the women glanced toward the Volvo to find Edward staring back in the alleyway. Alice followed his gaze and found the unmoving body of one of the men slumped against the alleyway wall. He was obviously dead, the look of terror forever etched on his face was a sign to the fright he must have felt in his last moments.

"You killed him," Edward murmured, his black eyes focusing on Lilith, who gave no reaction to this statement. "How could you kill him? Have you no respect for human life?"

Alice immediately felt the air around Lilith drop down a degree or two, out of the corner of her eyes she caught sight of the shadows in the alleyway begin to shift restlessly. That was not a good sign, she knew that instantly and Bella seemed to be in the same frame of thought. Alice and Bella glanced at one another, understanding looks traveling between them. The pixie had reached out to place a comforting hand against Lilith's arm while Bella focused on Edward, her tone of voice calming to the bronze haired vampire.

"Edward, he would have killed me if Lily hadn't shown up. She saved my life. He would've done the same to others." Bella allowed a gentle smile to form on her lips, even though she didn't feel the urge to smile. Those black eyes of his had brought a true inkling of fear for the first time since that long ago day in Biology.

His black eyes focused on Bella, silently watching her, before they flicked back to Lilith. "She has no right to play God..."

"And you did?" said Lilith, her earthy brown eyes focused on the vampire. "Then again, that did not stop you, did it? The difference between you and me is that I _was _given the right."

Lilith became quiet then, noting the shocked look on Edward's face as he caught images of himself from many years past flowing from her mind. Images that no one had seen apart from himself. Images of him playing judge and jury against men who had been like the one lying dead in the alleyway behind them. As quickly as they came, they were gone and her mind was shut to him as it had been many times before. He felt fear in his heart because of this strange woman before him, who knew and saw things no one else should have seen, things he didn't want anyone to know. However, his anger outweighed that fear and his growling began anew. Apparently, he didn't like the fact that his memories were not his own. The smirk on Lilith's lips was telling enough, she found it amusing that he didn't like the taste of his own medicine.

"Enough," said Alice, moving forward to take Edward's face within her small hands. His black eyes focused on her and she could see the warring emotions within him. "Enough Edward. Right now, we need to get Bella back to her friends. They'll be looking for her within the next ten minutes."

He glanced at Bella and, after a moment, the gold began to appear in his eyes once more. He focused on Bella's scent, inhaling it, though it was tainted with Lilith's distinct smell. She was not at all appetizing to him, the hint of brimstone in her blood immediately set him on edge. He wanted Bella as far away from this woman as possible. Whatever Lilith's interest was in her couldn't possibly be safe, no matter what Alice's visions foretold.

"I'm fine Alice," said Edward, though he looked anything but fine at the moment. His gold rimmed eyes were still focused on Bella and he looked terribly tense.

Alice released her brother and turned around to glance back at Lilith and Bella, her topaz eyes were apologetic. "We'll get rid of the body for you. Bella, you can ride with Edward. Jessica and Angela are at La Bella Italia. They already ate so they won't stay around but you should still eat something. I'm sure Edward will give you a ride home."

"What about you and Lily?" Bella glanced at her friend, who still remained silent though her stance was protective. She was slightly in front of Bella and she was leaning toward Alice, looking as if she would move at any moment to get the pixie out of harm's way. Judging by the murderous look that had been in Edward's eyes from the moment he got out of the silver Volvo, Bella didn't blame the school nurse one bit. The entire situation was beyond what Bella was used to and she was beginning to feel it weigh down on her.

Lilith looked at Bella and her stance became more relaxed as she gave a gentle smile. "Don't worry about me, you do what you feel is best. You already know how to protect yourself." Her smile grew at this and Bella smiled in return, remembering her shield from earlier. Lilith glanced at Edward then and her smile fell away, the look in her eyes giving a warning. "Call me if you need me."

Bella grasped her red crystal pendant at this and gave a nod, feeling slightly better at the fact that Lily would never be too far. They still had much to talk about after what had happened this night but she had to admit that the draw she felt toward Edward was strong. She moved around Lily and placed a comforting hand on Alice's shoulder as she took in a breath to calm her beating heart. "C'mon Edward."

Edward didn't say anything as he moved to opened the passenger door to the car, his eyes focused on Lilith. "Alice, are you coming?"

He already knew the answer to that one, having seen her thoughts before she had shaken her head in response. "I need to stay here."

Bella studied her friend as she grasped her pendant, giving a smile, before she looked at Alice. The pixie looked at her as well and her smile was surprisingly sweet, it brought an unexpected blush into the young woman's cheeks. Bella looked away and climbed into the car without a word, Edward closing the door after her. He flashed around the car and got into the driver's side with one last meaningful glance at Alice. The engine revved smoothly to life and the car backed away, making a quick turn and speeding off toward the main part of town.

Now alone, Alice turned around to look at Lilith, her small hands fumbling over one another in an effort to look as nervous as she felt. "We should move the body before it's found..."

Lilith frowned but didn't say anything in response. She turned around and hummed a single, low note into the quiet evening air. All at once, the shadows that had been trembling in the darkness of the alley surrounded the body. They wavered and bubbled for several moments before falling away, no trace of the body could be seen. The shadows merged back into the corners of the alley they had come from.

Alice should have been frightened at the sight of the shadows, at the sheer ease in which they had made an entire human disappear without a trace. However, she trusted Lilith with her all and she knew those shadows would only cause harm at Lilith's request. She took in an unneeded breath and smiled. "Well, that's a much more effective way than I had planned." She caught the hint of a smile on the corners of Lilith's lips and her undead heart rose at the sight of it.

"I suppose you want to talk," said Lil as she turned around to face the vampire who had been her friend, her sister, her reason for hope, in another lifetime. She had a sad look on her face as she reached up to brush away the dark curls that hax fallen into her eyes. "You have questions. Some of them about Bella but many of them pertaining to me..." She paused, trying to gather her thoughts before a resigned look finally took over the sadness. "I will answer them, all of them. You, out of anyone, deserve to know the truth."

Alice wasn't surprised after that statement and she merely nodded, trepidation now taking over the fleeting happiness she had felt from before. She had seen a glimpse of this vision the moment the decision had been made. The conversation that was to take place would happen in the Cullen home with the entire family present, including Bella. This was one of the moments that would change everything for them. There was no hint of what was being said in the vision, the one who had been talking was Lilith and she was nothing more that a shadowed form sitting on the couch, in between Alice and Bella. She didn't know if it would take place tonight, tomorrow or a month from now. All Alice could sense was that it would happen just as Bella would become a vampire. It was a certainty despite any decisions made by others outside of the three of them.

"You will have to forgive me for not wanting to speak right away," said Lil, lightly tugging on the cuffs of her black trench coat. She was swallowing back the tightness in her throat as she glanced back in the alleyway before she turned her gaze to Alice. "We can't stand here all night can we? C'mon then, I'll take you to back to my place..." Lil held out a hand after she said this, a hesitant smile on her lips.

Alice studied the hand that was reaching out to her. It had all added up to this moment, this moment that she had longed for since that night Lilith had shown up in Forks Hospital. She would finally get to have a moment alone with the woman she had felt carried the answers to her past. She reached out and took Lil's hand, loving the slightly warmer feel of the smooth skin. The hand tightened around Alice's cold one before darkness enveloped her senses without warning...

.oOo.

Silvan was expecting a guest to arrive with Lilith.

They had to be one of two, the vampire or the witch. The actions that had transpired tonight had set in motion of what was to come. It didn't matter which of the two would come (though Silvan had hoped the vampire, no temptation there) it just mattered that one of them came. They were three of the four that were needed: the Medium, the Witch, and the Seer.

Now all that was needed to be done was to find the Remembrancer, wherever he or she might be. Judging by the trend that Silvan could see, it was most likely that the Remembrancer would be a woman. After all, women were the vessels and nurturers of new life. It only made sense that it would be women to give new life to what was nearly destroyed...

Silvan tensed slightly, sensing the familiar heartbeat of his charge traveling within the borders between the Realm and the mortal world. She was not alone and he relaxed as he sensed the other was like himself, one of the undead that still anchored their human souls. That would mean things would go a little more smoothly when he would be formally introduced to the pixie that was Lilith's sister.

He let loose a gentle sigh and glanced over at the human form of Dip, watching as the hell hound was trying his best to kill the zombies on the large, flatscreen in front of him. The old vampire frowned and moved over to shut the console off.

"Hey! I was almost done with that level!"

Silvan growled as he straightened, his pale hands disappearing within the pockets of his trench coat. "Get moving. Lilith is bringing a guest and having you here would defeat the purpose of keeping her relaxed."

Dip threw the wireless control down to the carpeted floor as he got up from the couch, a smirk playing on his caramel features. "So she's bringing the Pixie with her? Thought Little Flower would have been the first one..."

"Get out," said Silvan, his growl punctuating each syllable.

"All right, all right, I'm gone," Dip said, laughter following behind the hell hound as he disappeared from sight. A curl of a shadowy flame was all that was left of his presence before it disappeared as well.

Silvan muttered under his breath about stupid mutts before the lights flickered and the gentle spirits that followed the Red Mother began to simmer against the corners of the living room. The old vampire gathered his trench coat closer against himself and glided toward a shadowed corner of the living room, blending with the gentle spirits that welcomed him with a friendly caress.

Lilith arrived a moment later, a gathering of shadows that appeared from the floor with much trembling and bubbling. They rose up nearly six feet in height before falling away, revealing the Red Mother and her vampire friend. The shadows quickly moved away from Lilith and joined their siblings in the corners of the room.

"Welcome to my home," said Lilith as she moved away from the pixie, the black clothing she wore that signified her status as a member of the Guard fading to the clothing she had worn earlier in the day. It was nothing more than long sleeved, violet blouse with a pair of white washed jeans but the shadows that lingers about her gave it a much more sinister look.

Alice glanced about the room, taking in the sight of the simple but rich tastes that were Lil. Her golden eyes that caught sight of a very tall shadow in the corner of the room and a low growl emerged from her throat. She moved quickly in front of Lilith, pushing the woman behind her as she began to snarl. This was the strange vampire from before, the one who had been about to harm her Lilith...

Laughter broke out from the corner where the old vampire emerged from the shadows he had blended with, his pale face bearing a slight smile. He wasn't handsome but he wasn't ugly either. He just... was, if that meant anything to the Pixie. She felt a hand on her shoulder and Alice glanced back at Lil, catching sight of the relaxed smile on her round face. "It's all right Alice. This is Silvan, he is my mentor and one of the few who I would call friend."

Alice relaxed from her defensive stance as she glanced at the terribly tall vampire, who was watching her with a slight smile on his thin lips. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you Alice." He emerged fully from the shadows and pulled one of his hands from the pocket of his black trench coat. He gave a sweeping bow, his midnight black hair never once falling from its slicked appearance. Alice had to admit that there was something about him that drew in a person, a grace that transcended anything even a vampire could even hope to achieve.

"I saw you that night," said Alice, a gentle frown on her pale face. "You were going to attack Lilith."

"It was training," said Silvan in reply, rising from his bow as he slipped his hand back within his coat. "We have training sessions to keep Lilith's skills up to par. It wouldn't do to have my pupil grow relaxed." He glanced at Lilith then, his slight smile turning into a smirk.

Lilith rolled her eyes in response and moved away to head to the small kitchen. The sound of the fridge opening caught their keen hearing and the vampires watched as the barely human woman came back, a bottle of juice in hand. She paused as the sight of them, a gentle touch of color appearing in her cheeks, before she looked away and went to take a seat on the couch. She sighed heavily and glanced at Alice for a moment before patting the seat beside her. "C'mon, sit down. It's going to be a long evening and standing about isn't going to help me relax."

Alice glanced at the old vampire named Silvan before turning and moving gracefully to sit beside the school nurse. She focused her entire attention on the woman, her golden eyes studying the caramel tone of Lil's face, her earthy brown eyes, her dark curls... It all screamed something familiar to her but Alice could not put a finger on it even now then she had a month prior.

A moment of silence passed before Alice found her words. "Why are you so familiar to me?" The question hung between the two women, a silence that was filled with even more questions that the pixie dared not to ask.

Lilith took in a breath as she snapped off the top to the bottle of her juice, the sound almost deafening to the two vampires that watched her. She took a gentle sip before sighing heavily, focusing her gaze upon the pixie. "The answer to that would mean having to face a part of yourself that would be best forgotten. Would you be willing to face those nightmares? Would you be willing to give up the comfort you have now, with your husband and your family?" Lilith looked away after she said this, her eyes filling with tears. "Who you are now at this moment, Alice, will not be the same woman after you hear the answers you long for. You will be changed, be it for the better or worse. You will not be the same Alice ever again." She looked up again, her breast heaving with the urge to sob. The pixie wished she could cry with her. "Do you still wish to know?"

Alice knew what Lilith was warning her of. This woman knew of her past, was a part of a past that Alice wished to remember. Judging by Lilith's reaction, it was a past that was best forgotten. However, she longed for her human memories, even if they were bad. She longed to know who she had been. Lilith knew her human self, how that was Alice couldn't say. She was more than a human, more than what even Alice herself had become. She was beyond this world and it was this that Alice felt was the catalyst. Lilith was a part of something that Alice would become as well. It was beyond her visions. She had tried to look in that fleeting moment of time but all she saw was black.

The vampire took in a calming breath, wishing that Jasper were here to dissolve the tension in the air. She shifted about on the couch before she looked at the school nurse, the woman who was more than she seemed, and gave a firm nod. "Tell me... Tell me what you can."


End file.
